


Black Attraction

by MissKansas



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Drama, Established Relationship, F/F, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Poisoning, Research, Travel, White Rose - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 07:18:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 40,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17259935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissKansas/pseuds/MissKansas
Summary: An ordinary mission warps into an investigation of trust.





	1. No Survivors

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR LET'S GO 2019!
> 
> Welcome to yet another fic! Originally, this was 7 chapters, but Shadow Nightblade had to be a sneaky ass and tell me it has more potential, so it has expanded.
> 
> This story is post volume 5. Beacon didn't fall, but Yang did lose her arm and has the robotic one.
> 
> This fic is titled after a concept in an anime called Needless. I'm not using the same concept as it is in the anime, I just like the sound of it xD

"I don't snow about you, but I'm not cold at all."

Groans.

Until now, the team had been discussing what to do when they got to their destination. It was a solemn conversation. Until Yang had to take the seriousness and toss it out whatever window there was in this winter wonderland.

"As I was saying," Ruby said, wanting to get back on track. "We'll be there soon. Ozpin said it wouldn't take more than a few miles."

"Let's pick up the pace then," Weiss suggested as she tugged on her red scarf.

Slightly, Blake's cat ears flicked. With a brief glance, the faunus and heiress' eyes met knowingly.

"We should've done that from the beginning," Blake said with a smirk.

Sensing that was her cue, Weiss formed four glyphs beneath all of them with a flick of her wrist. The glyphs were invisible on top of the pure white snow. In a strong burst, the team leaped forward and left a cloud of powder behind.

Yang wore the brightest smile as she soared with her arms back. "This never gets old."

"Imagine how I feel!" Ruby exclaimed as she twisted into a red blur.

Combined with the propulsion glyph and her own semblance, Ruby was flying faster than the speed of light. She was effectively in the lead and well ahead of her team.

From the sight, Weiss playfully rolled her eyes. "Wait up, dolt!"

With renewed force, the three caught up to their leader thanks to the glyphs. At these speeds, the wind was violent and slapped any exposed skin. The girls were red-faced and couldn't feel their cheeks. After trekking in the snow for a few hours, they were worn out. Especially after a few grimm popped up here and there.

Before the long trek, the team hitched a ride from a train into the snowy mountains. The team simply hopped off the ride when the time was right.

After a few minutes of flying, Ruby decided to slow down. According to the map, they were getting close to the village. She didn't want to accidentally bolt past it. When the leader decelerated, Weiss gradually slowed her glyphs and the team went back to hiking.

Leisurely, Yang put her hands behind her head. "It was nice while it lasted."

Blake just gave her a neutral look.

"What?" Yang asked. "Don't you like flying?"

"I should've remembered," Blake said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't get cold."

"Nope!"

The faunus was not one to get cold easily. For extra precaution, she threw on a black jacket that covered her entire upper body down to her knees. This mission was in the icy snow, so she wanted to be warm, but she was freezing.

To be of help, Weiss held out a black bottle in front of her faunus friend. "Do you want some?"

Based on the material, it was an insulated bottle. When Blake grasped it, it was warm. Her frigid hands slowly absorbed the heat, and she let out a pleased sigh.

"How long have you had this?" the faunus asked, impressed.

"Since we left Vale," Weiss said. "I had a couple of sips, so if you don't mind, you can have some. It's tea."

"Always thinking ahead," Blake replied, referring to the fact that they were practically in the Arctic. "Thank you," she said genuinely, cupping the bottle in her hands before bringing the lid to her lips.

From the mention of tea, Ruby and Yang darted over to their teammates.

"Tea?!" Ruby yelped in excitement, her eyes twinkling when she spotted the insulated bottle. "OhcanIhavesomepleaseeventhoughI'mnotreallycoldIjustliketeaspeakingofthatdidyouhappentopackcoffeemybelovedgirlfriend-"

The leader was silenced by a kiss on the lips. This wasn't the first time Weiss calmed her girlfriend down or cut off a ramble with a sweet kiss. Ruby closed her eyes and simply melted into the affectionate contact.

When Weiss figured her girlfriend mellowed out, she pulled away with a blush. "No coffee."

Yang let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God," she was well aware of how her sister reacted to coffee.

A few things riled Ruby Rose up and caused her to be more eccentric than usual. Those things were coffee, weapons, and the cold. Currently, Ruby was experiencing only the cold. Yang couldn't imagine a combination of the three, or even two.

"Wu-uh..." Ruby went silent from the kiss as she gawked at her girlfriend, who blended with the snow.

It wasn't often that Weiss was initiated intimacy in front of their friends, but Ruby was happy to not question it. Her other teammates didn't seem to mind. In fact, Blake and Yang were smiling at the couple.

After Blake and Yang swallowed a few sips of the soothing tea, they felt warmer. The calming liquid trickled down their throats and warmed them from the inside-out. When the pair was done, Yang handed her sister the bottle.

"Thanks," Ruby giddily gulped a few sips before handing the bottle back to her girlfriend. "You don't mind this many germs?"

"I'm trying not to think about it, but thanks for reminding me," Weiss said sarcastically with a ghost of a smile and turned to the faunus. "Do you feel warmer?"

Blake nodded, feeling the circulation return to her fingers. "It helped. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Weiss replied.

Yang glanced over to her sister. "How much longer, Rubes?"

The whole time, they didn't stop hiking. Multiple pairs of footprints embedded in the snow. The heavy snow boots kept their feet warm, but wore down their muscles like lead. The team had walked at least seven miles in heavy snow gear and that was starting to take a toll.

"Uhhh," Ruby checked the map on her scroll. "Looks like we're super close. I'd guess maybe-"

"There!" Blake pointed in the distance.

Smoke.

Dark, ominous clouds of smoke swirled with the gray sky.

"Now," Ruby confirmed.

From the troubling sight, Weiss created multiple glyphs to slingshot them in that direction.

They had to hurry. There had to be survivors. There usually were.

The mission was simple. Rescue any survivors and eradicate the grimm that took over the small village. Unfortunately, the huntsman and huntresses appointed to guard the village failed and team RWBY was the next responders to the scene.

Like acrobats, the four landed perfectly on the edge of the town to examine it. Snowflakes erupted around their forms from the sudden burst of speed.

For once, all four went silent.

Chaos.

Destruction.

Total annihilation.

All the humble buildings the villagers worked so hard to create had been utterly destroyed. A few caught fire in the ensuing fight, hence the black smoke. Debris was carved into the snow, blood splattered in patches. The once vibrant village was in tatters.

Despite the dormant mayhem, a calm breeze flowed by like nothing horrific transpired.

From the scent of the pools of crimson, Blake almost flinched. It was rusty and tangy. It reminded her of her former days in the White Fang. The sight was too familiar. One she never wanted to relive.

Yang tightened her fists. "This is horrible…"

"I didn't think it'd be this bad…" Ruby breathed.

Weiss looked to her leader. "What do you think 'destroyed' means?" she asked, referring to Ozpin's earlier words.

Her tone wasn't sarcastic. Rather, solemn. She didn't want to say it, but the team knew exactly what they were getting into when they were assigned to this mission. It was unlikely they'd find anyone alive, but it was worth a try.

In determination, Ruby flung out her scythe. "Look for survivors. And don't forget to watch your back."

Multiple nods.

With the orders in mind, they split up in blurs of red, white, black, and yellow. Luckily, the village was small so there wasn't much ground to cover. With all of them searching, it shouldn't take long to find people.

The east side is where Weiss searched the remains. Several pieces of debris were burning. Still burning. Nothing but ash. Grimm had to be around here somewhere. Taking note of Ruby's words, Weiss glanced behind herself. Nothing.

The ground was coated in red and white. The vital liquid was everywhere. As Weiss kept searching, remnants of arms and legs popped up. A crimson torso appeared when she lifted a piece of wood.

The sights bothered her, but she remained stoic and continued looking.

Meanwhile, Blake couldn't tear her gaze away from the macabre. Over time, she'd grown desensitized to most violence. Although she'd be lying if she said this didn't make her stomach churn. The scent of blood unsettled her the most. She couldn't escape it. That mixed with smoke was a daunting combination.

She searched high and low and only found the remains of bodies. Mostly children.

After rummaging around a pile of debris, Blake called out. "Any luck!?"

"No!" Yang yelled back.

Weiss didn't say a word.

Yang fought in battle countless times, but never got used to the results. She'd seen the consequences of combat before, but this...

This left a whole new jarring sensation twisting through her.

On the surface, Yang acted like the sight of violence didn't bother her because she's a huntress, but deep down, it definitely did. The blonde didn't have a strong sense of smell like her faunus partner, and the scent of blood still bothered her.

She wondered how Ruby was fairing with the grotesqueness.

"Agh!"

The surprised yelp was followed by a gunshot.

"Ruby!" Yang called.

The shout garnered the attention of her teammates. Instantly, the three darted to the building Ruby shot out of in blinding rose petals. A second later, dozens of beowolves lunged out of a small cabin.

Ruby landed in front of her team as they poised their weapons.

"What's the plan?" Weiss asked.

"Ice flower!"


	2. Toxin

"Ice flower!"

Readily, Ruby poised her sniper rifle. A majestic snowflake glyph enshrouded the red weapon as the frozen bullet whizzed out the snout of the gun. The explosive icicle erupted in the middle of the beowolf pack, causing some grimm to freeze and others to be sent flying in all directions.

To make this more efficient, Blake whirled Gambol Shroud at the beowolves that were separated from the rest of the pack. Almost every bullet put those grimm down for the count.

"Got them!" the faunus reported.

A few beowolves didn't even flinch from the frozen bullet and lunged at the white rose pair. Since they just fired a powerful attack, they were left vulnerable for a brief moment. This is why Yang stayed next to them.

Before a beowolf could claw her precious sister, Yang rocketed a punch in its jaw. "Not today!"

This sent it flying backward into several other beowolves, causing them to drop like dominos. After the punch, Yang cocked her gauntlets. The fight was just beginning.

"Thanks, sis," Ruby said.

"Be careful," the blonde replied.

Swiftly, Ruby used her gun as a bat to swat the next beast that lunged. It was promptly rammed back when Blake shot it directly in its red eye. When it was stunned, Weiss finished it off by impaling it in the chest.

"Agh!"

"Blake!" Yang yelped.

When Blake was suddenly knocked off her feet by a swipe, Ruby was a red blur and chopped off the beowolf's head like it was paper.

Yang was there to give her partner a helping hand for her to stand from the snow. "Are you okay?"

When Blake stood, she dusted herself from the white powder. "Fine, just caught me off guard is all," she said, lightly rubbing the cut on her chest.

Relief flooded over Ruby when she knew her teammate would be alright.

To make sure, Yang checked Blake over. The cut was so shallow it wasn't even bleeding.

"Glad to hear it."

Since Yang was too worried about her partner, she didn't notice a beowolf poised to strike her from behind. Luckily, a glyph under her feet veered her to the left before the sharp claws could maim her.

"W-hoah!" Yang swiftly regained her balance, having not expecting that.

When she composed herself, which took a nanosecond, she jabbed the offending beowolf in the snout. Bones cracked under the intense pressure. A low snarl lingered before the grimm dissipated.

The pack was a blinding black on top of white. The grimm surrounded the team like the attack was coordinated, so it was hard to gain their wits about them. To lower the sheer numbers, Ruby fired several shots that forced the nearest beasts to fly backward.

With a frown, Weiss fired off multiple ice dust shots. "No wonder why the village was overrun. There's too many of them!"

"Give 'em to me!"

Easily, Yang grabbed the attention from most of the snarling beowolves. As she dodged and punched multiple at a time, her teammates were picking them off. Purposefully, Yang was loud when wailing on the grimm, making herself the main target.

They weren't sure who was louder: Yang's war cries or the horde's howls.

This strategy didn't feel like they were making any real progress. Even though Yang was a powerhouse, Ruby knew even she had her limits.

"Freezerburn!" Ruby shouted.

On cue, Weiss twirled around and stabbed her rapier into the ground. Ice shards sprouted and glued most of the beowolves to the ground. Simultaneously, she summoned a black propulsion glyph to spring Yang into the air. As planned, the blonde cocked her fist back to wind up for a lethal punch.

"Agh!"

To aid in the jump, Yang shot her gauntlets for the recoil and flipped over. While Weiss was busy shooting ice dust at the grimm stuck to the ground, Yang flared her aura. After she punched her hands together, roaring flames erupted from her body.

Her fist cocked back and that's when her team jumped back several feet to avoid impact.

Yang's fist collided against the ground at full force, utterly obliterating the area. There was a loud bang and everything shook, including the dead trees. Feet of snow shook off the plantation and created a giant cloud of white powder. The lethal punch ultimately caused the remaining beowolves fly through the air unceremoniously and disappear.

A minute of silence passed as the team tried to see through the powdery snow clouds.

There wasn't a single sound. There were no howls and no shaking of the trees. Only heavy pants.

When the puff of white settled, Weiss skated past her girlfriend and impaled the last beowolf that was about to sneak attack her from behind.

"Thank me later."

Ruby sent her a grateful nod. "That was a close one."

"We did it," Yang said.

The aftermath was a new crater in the planet.

Blake narrowed her eyes when her cat ears subconsciously flicked. Blobs of black cut against the gray sky.

"We're not in the clear yet."

Yang frowned when she noticed the upcoming grimm were flying types. "Reinforcements?"

In determination, Ruby crouched to the ground. "Ladybug."

In response, Blake lowered herself with her katana in hand. "And..."

They had to wait for the griffons to get closer for this to work. As the flock neared, the griffons became more visible. The talons were the main concern. The sharp claws could rip steel.

There were several agonizing shrieks before the horde dove directly at them. The black masses rapidly become larger and more intimidating.

"Now!" Ruby shouted.

Like a samurai, Blake lined up her katana with the left side of the swarm. As she bolted directly at them, the buzzing that the pack emitted was incessant and annoying, cat ears flicking wildly.

Despite the huge distraction, Blake kept her focus. In one swoop, she managed to clip four of the griffons' wings. Part of the horde fell and collapsed on the ground, twitching in pain.

The violent shrieks became muffled when Yang and Weiss finished them off.

Easily, Ruby used her scythe and clipped off a few wings like it was child's play. Four griffons fell wildly on their sides. The severed black wings helplessly twitched on the ground before dissipating.

Since none were killed, Weiss executed them with quick stabs to the chest when they were vulnerable and spasming. Yang simply punched their lights out forever.

In triumph, Ruby wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Any other takers?"

Yang pounded her fists together. "They got nothin' on us."

Harsh stomps rocked the snow. Before they could even think, there was a tank of a black blob that lunged on all fours.

"Weiss!" Blake tried to warn.

An ursa was about to swipe Weiss, who whirled around.

She couldn't raise her rapier to block in time-

A flash of red. Red fused with the gray sky.

For a moment, time stopped.

Hastily, Ruby front-flipped and sliced off the ursa's head like it was a doll. Before the deadly claws could lay a finger on her partner, the grimm collapsed as the head rolled onto the snow.

In relief, Ruby whirled her scythe around before looking at her girlfriend with a smirk. "Thank me later."

Weiss playfully rolled her eyes. "That was strange. Shouldn't it be hibernating?"

"Probably," Yang agreed. "We made so much noise, though. I bet we woke it up, wherever it was sleeping."

More screeches echoed in the distance.

"You've got to be kidding me," the blonde growled.

Sure enough, more aerial grimm were rapidly advancing.

Blake heavily sighed. "Why do they keep coming here? There's nothing left."

Ruby rested her scythe over her shoulders. "Maybe they think we're easy pickings."

Yang cocked her gauntlets. "Time to prove 'em wrong. Again."

Overhead, the sun was setting. Combating grimm would be difficult at night. They'd have to rely on Blake if it came down to it, something Ruby wasn't willing to do. She didn't want to put so much pressure on her teammate.

Her team was tired, but could keep going. For now.

"Pollination."

That wasn't a combination the team performed often. An odd call, but the team trusted her.

Weiss whirled her rapier around to poise it. "You're serious," she almost questioned.

Ruby sent her a smug smile. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to call it a day."

That's when Blake spotted the lowering sun. Her leader was right. It was time to end this. The four waited for the horde to get closer as they crouched low. Weapons were poised as they waited for the mark.

The moment Weiss leaped forward to get underneath the griffons, her team followed in a burst of speed.

Hundreds of icicles sprouted from the ground and impaled several grimm. This sent many into a downward spiral as snarls echoed. Since Weiss was below the horde, she was left as an open target.

After several grimm fell, a stray griffon zeroed in on her and cut her arm with its powerful talons. Weiss gasped, but truth be told, the slice could've been worse. She kept her composure and sprouted several more icebergs.

The griffon that singled her out shrieked in agony when an icicle impaled its chest. Endless shrieks of the other gravely injured grimm ensued.

With the ribbon on Gambol Shroud, Blake corralled several beasts into a tight knot so they were unable to move. The grimm flailed around as Yang ignited. The sheer flames alone caused the griffons to recoil.

After a deep breath, Yang rocketed a punch into the horde. A yellow shock wave reverberated as the flames engulfed the grimm and swallowed them whole. Her teammates almost lost their balance since the jab was so powerful.

"Jeez…" Blake murmured in awe from the sight.

Just when Blake thought her partner couldn't get more powerful...

The grimm that somehow survived were executed by Ruby's relentless decapitation assault. In the end, the corpses thumped onto the ground. After all the grimm disappeared, the team was breathing heavily. When she knew it was safe, Ruby collapsed her scythe to its compact form.

"Good job team. Is everyone okay?"

Blake nodded. "A graze, but fine."

"Same," Weiss answered.

"I'm all good," Yang replied. "You?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the leader said. "You guys sure it's just a graze?"

To make sure, Blake focused her aura on her chest. The cut wasn't deep and was already healing. The pink mark was barely visible.

"She's fine," Yang reassured.

In worry, Ruby approached her girlfriend. "Your wound isn't healing."

"I used more aura than all of you," Weiss reminded. "It'll heal in a few hours once I've rested."

"Ah, yeah you're right," Ruby recalled the countless glyphs and icebergs created from her life force. "Who's ready to call it a day?"

Safe to say the whole team was ready.

"Dolt."

Appreciative, Weiss pecked her on the lips. With a blush, Ruby returned the kiss. Hesitantly, they separated as a breeze danced by.

"Such lovebirds," the blonde commented.

Blake smiled from the comment and devised a plan. "I found a building that was still intact. We should use it."

"Lead the way," Ruby chirped.

As Blake and Yang walked ahead, the white rose pair trailed closely behind.

"You did well as usual," Weiss said encouragingly.

Ruby perked up like a praised puppy. "You were amazing my beautiful girlfriend! Your glyphs always take my breath away. And you take my breath away. All the time, actually. Did you know your glyphs sparkle? And your eyes sparkle. It's really-"

Listening to her girlfriend gush over her always caused butterflies in her stomach. "Your semblance has gotten more efficient."

"You think so?" Ruby was delighted to hear that. "I've been working my butt off- mostly to impress you, anyway."

Weiss couldn't help but be skeptical from the revelation. "You don't need to impress me, dolt. Be yourself. That's more than enough."

Ruby sent her a bright smile that was similar to Yang's own. "It's weird for you to be so cheesy."

Weiss crossed her arms. "That's all you get."

"There you are," Ruby said teasingly as she held onto her arm.

From the gentle touch, Weiss gasped in pain when the wound throbbed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ruby asked, worried. "That sounded like it hurt."

"I-" Weiss tried to answer, but then she hissed. "Agh…"

The puny cut was throbbing relentlessly. Like she was being stabbed multiple times by a butcher knife in one spot. Instinctively, Weiss held a hand over the wound and gripped it tightly like that'd stop the pain. Her steps became slower, and Ruby stopped walking altogether.

"Weiss?" Ruby called, her concern grew when her partner didn't respond.

It's just a cut, so why does it hurt so much? Weiss questioned. It's akin to a paper cut. Am I that pathetic? Is my aura that low?

Noticing the predicament, Blake and Yang turned around.

"What's wrong?" Blake asked.

Suddenly, Weiss began to shallowly breathe. Since that was a worrying sign, Ruby lifted her girlfriend's hand off the wound. Weiss' normally pale palm was covered in black ink. From the sight, Ruby's eyes widened as fear gripped her heart with sharp claws.

"Weiss, what happened?" Ruby tried to ask calmly, but she was internally panicking. "Why's it…"

The dark substance dripped down the entirety of her pale forearm. Blake and Yang thoroughly examined the liquid with adrenaline pumping.

"What… is that?" Ruby asked in disbelief. "What cut you?"

"Talon..." Weiss answered with half-lidded eyes.

Suddenly, Weiss' knees buckled. She grew weak so suddenly it was frightening. Fortunately, Ruby already had a grip on her waist and sank to her knees with her in her lap.

"Weiss?!"

It was clear that Weiss was battling to keep her eyes open. Her blinking was constant and contained the fog of blue. She was in a daze as the blurs of red, black, and yellow leaned over her.

Silver eyes widened when Ruby coddled her in her lap. Weiss was pooling with warmth. She was warm in the freezing cold.

"Y-Yang!" Ruby almost sobbed, trying to keep it together. "What's wrong with her?! There's black stuff on her arm!"

Moments ago, the leader was fearless in battle. Now that her girlfriend was in danger, she was almost reduced to a blubbering child.

Yang bit her bottom lip as she examined the black liquid. It dripped down her teammate's petite arm and warped her skin purple. The blonde leaned back with creeping dread. As if to confirm the problem, Blake noted the girl's face was red.

Blake spoke in a calm voice to calm Ruby down, even if that was futile. "It might be poison."

Yang glanced at Blake for reassurance. Ruby leaned over her girlfriend as her tears dropped onto Weiss' cheeks.

"P-poison from a talon? How?" Ruby asked. "How's that possible?"

Yang placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "We can figure that out later. Right now, we need to get to shelter."

Protectively, Ruby tucked her girlfriend into her chest.

"Right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	3. Time Limit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY MONTY'S DAY! Monty will never stop inspiring us :D Love you dude, thanks for everything.

Fortunately, team RWBY found shelter in the nick of time. As they burst the door open, the wind howled ominously. Snow drifted from the gray clouds as the sun disappeared over the mountainous horizon.

To be cautious, Yang halted before her team could walk inside. Ruby and Blake silently understood as they waited for her 'okay.'

Dutifully, Yang scanned their surroundings to be safe.

It was a humble cabin. By some miracle, it wasn't destroyed by any of the grimm and was spared. Because it was still standing, there was a chance this place acted as a nest for grimm, so they had to be extra cautious.

There was a small kitchen with cabinets- hopefully, filled with food if they were lucky. The living room was most of the home. A bonus was the fireplace that was a centerpiece and a comfy couch.

"This place'll do," Yang concluded as she stepped inside.

Together, the team piled in as the floorboards creaked. With worry consuming her, Ruby gently laid her girlfriend on the couch. To provide comfort, she held Weiss' hand to tell her that she wasn't leaving.

"Don't go anywhere," Blake said firmly. "I'll check the rest of the place for grimm."

Yang sent her a nod, but Ruby was too concerned for Weiss to hear her.

The blonde approached the pair and used a low voice. "How is she?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

Ruby bit her lip. "Not too good…"

"I'm fine," Weiss breathed.

An obvious lie.

The sisters didn't even expect a reply. Until now, Weiss had been unconscious and her face furrowed in distress. A sheen layer of sweat clung to her skin and blue orbs swirled with the haze of pain.

"Weiss- sweetie," Ruby called soothingly. "Did you say a talon cut you?"

"A griffon talon..." Weiss mumbled as she gazed at the bland ceiling in a daze. She barely heard her girlfriend ask the question. She sounded miles away. "I killed it before I could get a good look at it."

"The battle was rushed," Yang recalled. "The injury didn't hurt at the time?"

"No," Weiss answered, almost unable to hear the question.

Her replies were curt to save what little energy she had left. Her team was quick to notice this and grew more concerned as the situation dawned on them. The storm outside was getting worse, and they didn't know how fast the poison would become lethal.

For a while, Blake was a shadow from the doorway. She walked into the common area, wanting to put her two cents in. Since she didn't sound any alarm, the cabin was safe for the time being.

"The poison took a bit to take effect," the faunus noted.

"But-" Ruby stopped herself, trying to rationalize the situation. "I've never heard of a poisonous grimm besides a king taijitu. Have you guys heard of poisonous griffons?"

"No," Blake answered, stumped.

Yang shook her head. "This is beyond bizarre."

"Are we sure it's poison?" Ruby asked, hoping that wasn't the case.

Part of her knew it was, but the other part didn't want to believe it. If it was poison- Ruby didn't know what she'd do. As a girlfriend, or team leader for that matter.

"Weiss, do you mind?" Blake asked, wanting to examine the wound.

The call of her name garnered no reaction. Weiss' eyes had closed and her breathing was still shallow.

"Weiss?" Ruby pleaded as she squeezed her hot hand. "Can you hear us? Can we check your wound?"

That seemed to pull her back to reality like an anchor. Ruby's worried voice latched onto the heiress and reeled her in back to shore.

"Go ahead."

With permission, Blake slowly turned her arm over. A thin gasp escaped from Weiss along with a round of pants. Just moving it was enough to cause a round of jabbing pains through her body. Ruby squeezed her hand to comfort her as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

The black substance lingered under her skin like a dark curse. A black splotch bruised her forearm and a purple pallor surrounded the entirety of it.

Blake stifled a whimper when she absorbed the sight. "In a way," she said in a bargaining tone. "This is good. It's not near your heart."

Silence.

Until Weiss spoke sternly. "Yet."

"That's not going to happen," Ruby pecked her girlfriend on her torrid cheek. "Weiss…"

Blake turned to her teammates with a sense of urgency. "We need to figure out what to do. Fast."

The poison was spreading, but not very quickly. Time was vital and something they didn't have.

With a plan, Yang whipped out her cell phone. "I'll call Ozpin."

There was suffocating tension as they waited for the signal to go through. Only for there to be none. They were out in the wilderness, and any civilization was miles away.

"Damn," the blonde said. "No signal."

A muffled whimper. Weiss was in more agony than she was letting on. She always had a brave face on. Even now, she was fighting to remain stoic in front of her teammates.

"Oh, Weiss..." Ruby murmured as she threaded her fingers through her tresses. "We'll get you better in no time, okay? Please- hang in there."

It was a struggle just to keep her eyes open. The poison sapped any energy she had. Blue orbs gazed at Ruby as she became a red blur. After a soft sigh, Weiss' eyes vanished behind heavy eyelids, and she went limp.

"Weiss!"

The team felt utterly helpless from the sad sight.

"I'll go get help," Blake suggested, feeling like she had to do something. "I can do it, Ruby."

After hearing that, Yang slid her phone into her pocket. "I'm comin' with."

"No," Ruby shut that down, much to her teammate's dismay.

The partners stared at her, skeptical. They thought Ruby would definitely go for this plan considering her beloved was suffering.

"It'll take you two full days to go to Vale and back minimum," Ruby explained. "And take a look outside. Do you want to get caught up in that? Yang, your semblance would be exhausted in an hour."

It was true. Yang was a walking heat incarnate. She stayed warm with her semblance whether it was activated or not. In the blizzard, even she wouldn't last long. This meant Blake wouldn't last long, either.

The winds were so powerful they were surprised the small cabin hadn't been shredded to pieces. It was a whirlwind out there.

Yang grit her teeth and clenched her fists, getting frustrated at the thought of not being able to help her teammate. "Then what other way is there?!"

"I'm not about to let you guys go out into a death trap!" Ruby shouted back.

"If anyone can make it, it's me," the blonde reasoned. "My semblance is equipped for this!"

"Even if your semblance did work the whole time you were out there, you're not fast, Yang," Ruby retorted. "Time is the issue here!"

Before Yang could counter the argument, a faint voice lingered.

"Stop…"

The team went silent when Weiss spoke. Weiss didn't like it when her teammates fought. Especially the sisters. Ruby didn't raise her voice often. Not at all. That's what pulled Weiss back. Ruby's shouting gave her a rope to hold onto.

With her remaining strength, Weiss tried to sit up.

"Wait- you shouldn't-" despite her words, Ruby coaxed her to sit upright.

Gingerly, the leader wrapped an arm around her back. Her girlfriend leaned on her for support. The warmth enshrouded Ruby's body.

"We'll wait out the storm," Weiss said as the room spun.

"No way," Yang replied. "We don't know how long the storm will last."

Those words rang true, so Blake stepped forward. "Or how long you'll last."

If Weiss could scoff, she would. She'd handled many levels and degrees of pain. She could handle a little venom in her system.

"The train…" Ruby mentioned in an epiphany.

"What about it?" Yang asked, curious.

Blake's cat ears flickered from the idea, her mind connecting the pieces. "Do we know when it'll come by next?"

"Ozpin gave me the schedule before we left," Ruby recalled.

To help her leader, Blake switched with Ruby to hold Weiss upright. Instantly, her heat seeped into Blake's skin. Weiss could pass as a furnace. She could pass as Yang.

"Breathe, alright?" Blake comforted.

With urgency, Ruby fumbled with her scroll. "I'll find it. Just- hold on. I'll find it!"

Beneath her palm, Blake felt Weiss' heart thundering against her rib cage. Her face was scrunched in distress, and it was evident she was trying to stifle her desperate breaths.

"Breathe," Blake encouraged, smoothing circles on her back. "Focus on getting air. You don't have to hold back around us."

Weiss had no idea she needed to hear those words. A thin gasp slipped out, and she did as she was told. Get air. Her pants grew more acute as she turned her head from side to side in distress.

Concern swam in Yang's eyes as she wiped the sweat from her teammate's forehead. "Princess…"

With every agonizing second, the wound pulsated throughout her body. Weiss gripped her arm like it was her lifeline.

"Hey," Yang whispered. "Let me take off your jacket. We need to tend to it."

Moving her arm the slightest centimeter sent jolts throughout her burning body. Reluctantly, Weiss loosened her death grip.

"Just do it."

"Can I hold out your arm?"

A nod.

Carefully, Yang tugged on the sleeve of the injured arm.

"Agh…"

Fortunately, Blake was there to hold her still and whispered sweet reassurances.

The once-white jacket was now tainted in venom-black. Blake grimaced from the sight. With teamwork, Yang and Blake were able to pull the puffy jacket off her without much incident.

Since the faunus knew what her partner intended to do, she unwrapped the ribbon from her weapon. If they were going to bind the wound, it might as well be with material that's strong and already black.

"Ready?" Blake asked.

Carefully, Yang held out Weiss' arm to keep it straightened.

"Ready, Weiss?" Blake asked, wanting to make sure.

"Yes."

It was obvious she was hesitant to say that, but this had to be done. The faunus slowly wrapped the ribbon just above the perimeter of her purple skin. Hopefully, this would slow the venom from spreading. The ribbon was tight, but not tight enough to cut off circulation.

"That should buy us more time," Blake said as she tied a knot.

"Tomorrow!" Ruby blurted.

Yang perked up from the news. "The next train comes tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" Ruby chirped hopefully. "We'll leave early to get there on time."

"At dawn?" Blake asked.

Ruby nodded as she gazed down at her girlfriend. "That's for the best. You hear that, Weiss? We'll be back soon."

"Can she-" Yang's words died in her throat.

She didn't like the question she was going to ask. It seemed that Weiss read her mind even in her state.

"I'll manage until then," Weiss said. "I have my teammates, after all."

"Darn right you do," Ruby said.

Outside, the wind howled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	4. She Really Loves You

The night clashed against snow.

The wind howled relentlessly, not ceasing for a moment.

Inside, the flames roared and crackled. Warmth coated the cabin in a wool blanket. Shadows silhouetted the wooden walls and floorboards.

Kneeling on the floor was Ruby, who was holding her girlfriend's hand. For a couple of hours, Weiss was in and out of consciousness. Each time she woke, Ruby was there.

In her sleep, Weiss' eyebrows were knit together, her expression clearly pained. Her muscles contracted and twitched at sporadic intervals, most likely due to the effects of the poison ravaging her system.

On occasion, moans of pain slipped out in her restless sleep. Each time Ruby heard the troubling whimpers, she kissed her cheek. To prevent more agony, Ruby made sure her girlfriend's poisoned arm was still and resting on her stomach.

"Does she need anything else?" Yang asked, hoping to be of help.

From the question, Ruby snapped out of her thoughts. She'd been so wrapped up in watching her girlfriend sleep that she forgot her teammates were present. They'd been quiet until now.

"Water," Ruby replied, thinking that Weiss hadn't drunk anything for hours.

Since Blake was already in the kitchen and heard the request, she filled up a cup with sink water. By some miracle, the pipelines were still working after the destruction of the village.

"Weiss?" Ruby murmured as she soothed her fingers through snowy tresses. "Are you with me? You need to drink some water."

A soft, unintelligible whine worked its way from the back of Weiss' throat. Ruby didn't know if that was a reply or another moan. Still, she needed water, so Ruby moved an arm beneath her slim back.

"I gotcha…" Ruby whispered as she lifted her to sit upright.

She was slow and deliberate with the movements. To help, Blake kept her friend's injured arm still. Noticing this, Ruby sent her a glance of appreciation.

Dull pools of blue were half-lidded. It was a struggle for Weiss to adjust after being stationary for a while. It was such a small movement and put such a strain on her. Ruby had never seen her girlfriend in such a helpless state before. It sent pangs of worry shooting through her.

Biting her lip, Ruby accepted the glass of water from Blake.

"Do you think she can?" Blake asked.

"Let's hope so," Ruby said, her voice cracking.

Carefully, Ruby tilted the cup to her lips. She pulled away when water dribbled down her chin. Weiss almost forgot to swallow and lightly choked. Instantly, Blake and Ruby reached out for her to keep her still.

"Oh gosh, sorry, sorry, so sorry," Ruby apologized, feeling horrible for making her feel worse.

After Weiss coughed a couple times, she was quiet.

"Do you think you can drink more?" Ruby asked, hopeful. "That wasn't much…"

When Ruby received no reply, she noticed her girlfriend's eyes had drifted shut. After muffling a whimper, Ruby set a hand on Weiss' forehead and brushed her damp bangs aside. The torrid heat emanating from her almost caused Ruby to recoil.

"Weiss…"

The leader's voice cracked with misery. Blake's cat ear flicked as she gazed down at her ailing friend. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat and ease her jarring stomach, but it was no use.

"I found food!" Yang announced as she darted into the living area with a few cans in hand. "Nothin' fancy, but it's better than nothing."

The labels read green beans and salmon.

"Fish would help her," Blake said, glad there was food with nutrients. "It's probably the best food she needs right now."

Salmon wouldn't stop the poison from spreading, but it could aid Weiss' body in fighting off the toxins.

Thankful for some good news, Ruby gazed down at Weiss. Any spec of hope fled out the window when she noted her condition. Weak pants barely allowed her to breathe. Her girlfriend could barely drink, let alone eat.

"I-I don't know if she can."

"We'll save some so she can later," the blonde said, noting her condition as well. "I think she needs sleep first. She'll have more energy when she wakes up."

"Yeah," Blake nodded and ripped open the can. "We'll make sure she eats before we leave."

Yang crouched to get at eye-level with her sister, who hadn't torn her gaze away from Weiss.

"Eat up."

"I'm not hungry," Ruby replied like she was broken.

Yang had never heard her sister sound so depressed. It broke her heart. This compelled her to press.

"Do you want Weiss to feel better?" Yang asked.

"Of course I do," Ruby replied without missing a beat.

Yang shoved the can of salmon into her face. "How do you expect her to get better when you're not at full strength?"

No reply, so Yang continued.

"She needs you, Ruby. Now more than ever. You need to be at your best for her."

The next day, the team faced a long hike through the icy wilderness. More encounters with grimm were a given. If none of them ate, their strength would be weakened. There was no way the leader could protect her girlfriend if she was low on energy.

"Okay," Ruby relented, knowing her sister was right.

With that, Blake retrieved a few paper plates. Each portion was a normal meal size, so they got their fill. They truly hit the jackpot with this cabin. If they were stranded outside- they didn't want to think about it.

Ruby leaned her back onto the couch, keeping the rest of the food safely in the cans. Blake and Yang sat next to each other and leaned on the wall as they ate.

The flames almost burned their skin. The shadows cast a dark light in the room. The room was quiet.

Over time, the faunus had leaned onto her partner. Yang welcomed the contact wholeheartedly, but lilac orbs never left Ruby. Her sister was pressing a wet washcloth onto Weiss' hot skin.

"How much longer?" Yang asked in a whisper.

Since her breath tickled, Blake's cat ear flicked. "It's midnight," she said, looking at her phone. "So maybe five or six hours left."

Visibly, Yang tensed. "This is the longest night ever."

"We've done all we can," the faunus tried to reassure.

"I haven't felt this helpless since…" Yang paused, looking down at her robotic arm.

"I'm sorr-"

At last, Yang met her partner's gaze, which caused Blake to shut her mouth. Concern and compassion swam in lilac.

"It wasn't your fault," the blonde said softly, yet firmly. "Try not to apologize anymore, alright? I'm ready to put it behind us."

Blake nodded and squeezed her hand when she thought about the other countless times she tried to apologize.

"Right. Sor-"

A firm stare.

"My bad," Blake said.

That earned a light chuckle.

For a few moments, the partners were content to sit there and enjoy each other's presence. The crackling of the fire was the only noise to reach their ears. Eventually, Blake had to speak when they couldn't stop watching the white rose couple.

"Shouldn't you be by your sister?" Blake whispered, making sure Ruby didn't hear. "She needs you."

"No," the blonde replied in a low voice. "I can't take her away from the princess. Besides, I don't want to leave you."

"Same," Blake said as she rested her head on the taller girl's shoulder.

Her eyes were growing heavy. Now that she had time to rest, her body felt the full effects of the day. She felt like lead, and she knew Yang felt the same. Yang smiled as she rested her head on top of Blake's own.

"Rest up, Blakey."

"Make sure Ruby sleeps…"

Blake trailed off, almost unable to finish her sentence. The blonde's vision was blurry as she stared at the red hood.

"She always falls asleep after she eats," Yang said, closing her eyes.

As Ruby leaned over Weiss, she fought to stay awake. To stay anchored to reality, she held onto her hot hand. Constantly, Ruby checked on her arm. The poison didn't look like it was spreading.

Soothed by the thought, Ruby sighed in relief. They weren't out of the woods yet, but that was one thing she could cling onto for hope.

Lovingly, she leaned down and kissed Weiss' scarred eyelid.

By now, Weiss had stopped panting so feebly. It looked like she was in a peaceful slumber at last. Her chest was faintly rising and falling. If Ruby hadn't concentrated, she would've missed that.

Weiss… Ruby thought as she leaned onto the couch. I'm right here.

Comforted by the sounds of her soft breaths, Ruby slipped into the realm of slumber.

...

One-by-one, her senses came into play. There was a burning sensation throughout her entire body. Despite the hotness, there was a soft material that coated her. It felt like a blanket.

Her fingers twitched before her mind could work. There was a comforting sensation in her hand. She briefly wondered why. She should probably find out. Determined, she fought to regain some semblance of reality.

Eventually, azure orbs fluttered open. Wood was all around. It was hot. So hot. Where was she? Weiss' mind almost delved into panic mode, but her nerves were eased when she noticed Ruby. Her girlfriend was holding her hand and lightly snoring. So she was the reason for that grounding presence she sensed earlier.

The sight of her dolt caused Weiss to smile for the first time that night. With the little strength she had, Weiss turned her head and kept her arm still. Ruby looked so exhausted. Fighting countless grimm and constantly worrying drained her.

You dunce… Weiss thought. You look so tired.

Weiss was tempted to kiss her. To comfort her in any way, but she didn't want to move. She was afraid to.

Instead, her eyes flickered around the room. Again, she smiled from the sight. Blake and Yang leaned onto each other for support as they dozed.

Before she could enjoy her picture-perfect team, a pang shot up her arm. Even as she lay still, the pain was relentless. A round of stabbing jolts emanated from her arm and took hold of her very being.

She couldn't bite back her whimpers, but her team couldn't wake up. They needed sleep.

No… make it stop…

She couldn't disturb them-

From the tiny, muffled noises, Blake literally jumped up from her spot. Yang didn't rouse at all. Then again, she was a heavy sleeper. Weiss was in too much pain to acknowledge how quickly Blake reacted.

After Weiss sharply inhaled, she whispered. "Don't wake her up."

Of course the first thing Weiss would be worried about is her girlfriend, Blake thought. The faunus went to check on her and stepped next to Ruby.

"I won't," she murmured.

"Where... are we?" Weiss asked.

"This cabin was the only place spared," the faunus said. "Lucky us, huh?"

No reply. Weiss' face contorted to a grimace.

"Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine," Weiss replied curtly.

Blake frowned. "You're obviously not."

The pain wasn't subsiding. It ate at her arm. The toxins were wearing her body down. By dawn, Weiss was worried she wouldn't have any energy just to stay awake.

"I look forward to getting back," Weiss admitted tiredly.

"I bet," Blake said, looking at her limp arm. "May I?"

A feeble nod.

Cautiously, Blake tilted her arm to check on the injury. Unintentionally, Weiss flinched and gasped in pain.

"Sorry," Blake apologized as she examined the wound.

As she feared. The poison had slithered passed the black ribbon tied around her slim arm. The blackness underneath tainted her skin purple and undoubtedly increased the pain tenfold.

"How bad is it?" Weiss muttered, afraid of the answer.

Blake looked conflicted as she chose her words. "It's spreading, but it's slow."

"Slow…" Weiss mumbled. She could accept that. If the poison was fast, she'd be dead right now. "Such a nuisance..."

A bead of sweat dribbled down her cheek. The faunus wiped it away and whispered.

"Can you eat?"

"Believe it or not, I'm not hungry," Weiss said sarcastically.

From the reply, Blake almost smirked. At least she still had her sarcasm.

"I figured," the faunus replied.

Being in excruciating pain would demolish a person's appetite. She wasn't about to fight her on that, or her teammates might stir.

Amber orbs drifted down to the sleeping leader. "She really loves you."

"I know."

Weiss didn't need to be told that. The couple always had a loving relationship.

Pale, yet torrid hands soothed through Ruby's hair. From the comment, Weiss lightly smiled, savoring the soft feeling. Ruby's hair was always soft. Even after killing dozens of grimm.

While Weiss focused on Ruby, Blake checked her scroll. Twenty percent battery life left. It could be worse, but it was only 2 A.M. They had a few hours before daylight.

"Wha… uhh."

Blearily, Ruby stirred. Part of Blake was glad she woke up. Weiss needed her. With that in mind, Blake went to rest next to her slumbering partner before Ruby realized she was awake.

"Ruby…"

From the call of her name, Ruby snapped out of her daze. Sounded like Weiss. She was awake! Like an eager puppy, Ruby held her hand tightly.

"Weiss, are you okay? Do you need anything? Does it hurt? Are you in pain? Tell me if I can do anything."

So many questions. Weiss didn't have the energy to answer them all.

"Don't worry."

"That's kind of impossible," Ruby said knowingly.

Touched, Weiss summoned the remains of her energy to caress her cheek. Fondly, Ruby held her hand there.

"I'm sorry," Ruby apologized. Weiss could tell she'd been yearning to say that for a while even though she didn't need to. "We shouldn't have rushed combat."

"You're such a dunce," Weiss lightheartedly chided.

"What?" Ruby asked, skeptical.

"It's not anyone's fault," Weiss said firmly. She was never going to let Ruby blame herself. "Don't be stupid."

Sharp words, but they lacked an edge.

"I promise you'll be fine," Ruby promised, determination sparkling in those silver eyes. "We'll get you home safely, Weiss."

"I trust you, partner," Weiss said as she brushed her fingers on her cheek. The sensation was so light it tickled.

"Leave everything to me," Ruby said as she leaned into her hand.

A moment of silence. Ruby savored her warm touch.

Below her, Weiss' lips parted.

"I love you," she said genuinely. "I know I don't say it often, but I do."

A wide smile. It was so bright that it masked the flames.

"You don't need to, silly," Ruby replied with her goofy grin. "You show it with your actions every day."

If Weiss wasn't already red, Ruby was positive she'd be blushing now. Carefully, Ruby lowered herself over her, making sure not to touch her injured arm.

Their lips met in a soft kiss. They simply melted into it and naturally smiled into the passionate contact.

In the background, the flames crackled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
> 
> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	5. Fiery Resolve of the Bumblebee

At last, the tiniest specks of sunlight trickled into the cloudless sky.

For several minutes, team RWBY had been preparing to leave the cabin. They didn't want to waste a single second. Weiss was getting worse with every measly breath. The blackness consumed her arm and crept into her shoulder. At this rate, the team didn't know how long she could hold out.

"Here's another blanket," Yang said as she tossed the soft, red fabric to her sister.

Ruby caught it with her mouth since her hands were busy holding up Weiss, who was being carried on her back.

"Ywang…"

From the sight, Yang chuckled. Ruby looked like a pouting puppy holding a toy.

After rolling her eyes, Blake retrieved the blanket and draped it over Weiss. She meticulously tucked the fabric underneath her form to make sure it would stay. That was about the fifth layer of heat added on top of her.

"If she gets cold, she really is the ice queen," Yang halfheartedly joked.

It was then that Ruby felt Weiss shiver. Probably because of the fever. That compelled her to want to move faster.

"Everyone ready to go?" Ruby asked.

After Yang slid on her gloves, she glanced around. "I think so."

To make sure Weiss was secure, Blake approached Ruby. "Let me see."

Loosely, Weiss' hands were tied together so they wouldn't fall off to the side of Ruby. One was a ghostly white while the other was dark like ink. They were draped over Ruby's shoulders to prevent her from losing balance. Weiss didn't have the strength to keep them closely together, so the tie was crucial.

When the faunus softly tugged on the light knot, she concluded it was stable. "It should stay. Tell us if it gets loose."

"Alrighty," Ruby said happily. "Let's get outta here."

Leisurely, Yang placed her hands behind her head. "Finally."

Before Blake could open the door, lilac orbs widened. A massive dark reflection was rapidly descending toward the cabin. Before she could say anything, Yang dove toward her sister and partner, knocking them down forcefully.

The sounds of wood ripping tore out as the team slammed onto the wooden floor. Something sliced through the cabin like it wasn't even there. A black feather jammed into the floor where they previously stood.

"Ugh…" Ruby groaned as she pushed herself up.

Luckily, the leader landed on her front. Yang managed to save Weiss from a harsh landing, but Ruby took the full momentum and the wind was knocked out of her.

After growling, Blake exclaimed. "I didn't hear it coming!"

"Doesn't matter," the blonde replied quickly.

What mattered was that they were okay. Good thing Yang happened to be watching outside. If she didn't, they would've gotten injured or killed by that deadly feather for sure.

"Ruby, take care of Weiss," Yang instructed. "We got this one."

"Okay!" Ruby exclaimed as she knelt.

Carefully, she turned her girlfriend over to check on her. She was the one who was pushed on, after all. Hopefully, Yang's shove didn't hurt her or worsen her condition.

Together, the yellow and black pair darted outside into the freezing weather. As expected, a nevermore was soaring right above them as it beat gravity into submission. Multiple puffs of frigid air dispersed in front of Yang and Blake's noses as they debated what to do.

A deafening roar. Reflexively, Blake's cat ears folded. The partners held up their arms to cover the snow from hitting their faces.

On instinct, Blake reached for Gambol Shroud. When she yanked out her beloved weapon, amber orbs widened in realization. The ribbon was gone.

She forgot that she tied the ribbon around Weiss' arm! It could really help in bringing the grimm down. Then again, Weiss needed it more, so they had to think of another plan.

Before she could think of something else, Yang fired a bullet out of her gauntlets. The fiery bullet exploded when it hit the overgrown wing. In response, the huge bird screeched and lost some control.

"You got your dust bullets, right?" Yang asked, which earned a nod. "That's the only way we can bring it down!"

There weren't any mountains nearby, so the partners couldn't use those as vantage points. That would deplete their energy quickly as well. The cabin was out of the question since it was being used to protect their teammate.

As the partners bolted further away from the cabin to get the white rose couple out of danger, they strategized.

"Ice bullets!" Blake exclaimed as she bolted alongside her partner. "Weight will force it down!"

"Ah, you're totally right!" Yang agreed.

"The fire really pissed it off, though!"

After Blake said that, the nevermore dipped for another attack. For a moment, it looked like the beast was going for a sweep. Unfortunately, the grimm didn't get close enough for them to hop onto. Rather, it kept its distance with a deafening shriek and hurled another horde of sharp feathers their way with a flap.

The partners somersaulted out of the way. When they regained their footing in the deep snow, they flanked its sides. The grimm stalked and stared as it hovered high in the sky, trying to keep its red eyes on both figures.

"It's either plotting or stupid!" Yang yelled as she fired another dust bullet, not losing her stride.

A clump of ice froze the left wing. Seconds later, another iceberg sprouted on top of the other black wing. The beast screeched in shock and inevitably took an unintentional dive as it flailed around. As planned, it got close enough to the ground so they could hop on top of it.

Fiercely, Yang cocked her fist back and critically jabbed the left wing. "Agh!"

Grunts of effort rang out as Blake sliced and diced the twigs called feet.

With their assault, they didn't notice the nevermore had broken free of the ice. That was faster than they thought it'd take. With a demonic screech, the nevermore with vicious red eyes thrashed like a bull at a rodeo. The partners screamed in surprise as they tried to hold on for dear life.

Unfortunately, Yang couldn't keep her death grip and got whipped off.

"Woah!"

Her cry echoed into the winter sky. Since the blonde let go, Blake abandoned the impossible feat to stay on. With her fast reflexes, the faunus used the beast's leg to propel herself to Yang. In midair, Blake caught the flailing blonde.

"Got you," was all Blake said.

Instinctively, Yang wrapped her arms around her partner as tightly as she could.

Together, the pair crashed into a fragile dead tree. The tree was ripped out of the roots, causing the white powder all around to erupt in a violent burst.

"Ugh…" the blonde groaned.

Blake grunted as she struggled to push herself up. "That better not happen again."

Their entire bodies felt bruised. And now numb thanks to taking a dive into the freezing snow. Fortunately, no major injuries.

While the two tried to recover, the nevermore dipped for a close-up strike when they were vulnerable.

They didn't have time-

Until a glowing bullet knocked the nevermore off-balance. It caused another clump of ice to sprout underneath the beast's stomach. It screamed as it tried to chip away the ice in an awkward angle.

"Got it," Ruby said in triumph as she cocked Crescent Rose again.

A tiny whimper trailed into her ear.

That caused her to rest her scythe by her side. Ruby almost forgot that Weiss was on her back. She was so light. Now that Ruby thought about it, firing a bullet had to be painful for her. The sudden movement might've been too much.

"Sorry, so sorry, Weiss," Ruby apologized as she adjusted the girl. "I won't do it again, okay? Please be okay…"

A small groan. Weakly, Weiss lifted her head.

"Ruby…? What's happening…?"

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, trying to appear calm. "Was the recoil too much?"

Truth be told, Weiss didn't hear her girlfriend over the incessant ringing. She tried to focus on her hazy surroundings. Yellow and black blobs were fending off a giant dark blur. It looked like a nevermore since it had large triangles on the sides of its body.

Yellow and black were struggling. The darkness looked too high in the sky. Too high to touch. Multiple rounds of gunshots reached her ears, but it didn't look like the bullets were doing much. The mass was swift and relentless.

"-ss?" Ruby asked after waiting for a few moments. "-an you hear me?"

Blearily, Weiss delved into her mind. She knew how Blake fought. That's who the small black blob had to be. The ribbon was a crucial part of her combat style. The ribbon that was wrapped around her useless arm.

Blake also had a katana. A sharp edge. If she could get up higher-

A tiny flick of the wrist caused a glyph to spin and flicker beneath Blake's feet.

"What the-" Blake said in confusion as she was sprung upward like a trampoline. "-Agh!"

"Weiss!" Ruby yelped in a mix of worry and chiding when she spotted the sparkling sigil.

"Ugh… quiet…" right after, Weiss went limp.

For such a tiny glyph, it packed a punch. It took the faunus by surprise when she was suddenly heaved hundreds of feet into the sky, far above the nevermore. However, she reacted gracefully and flipped forward with her katana poised.

Like the giant beast was paper, Blake sliced through the neck in one strike. Good thing she recently sharpened her blade. The head thumped on the frozen ground and the corpse fell from the sky. Promptly, the faunus hopped off and was met with Yang's strong arms to land safely.

"Holy shit," the blonde breathed. "Was that what I think it was?"

Not answering, Blake bolted to the white rose couple. Yang followed, equally concerned.

"Is she worse?" the faunus asked.

Ruby frowned as she nuzzled onto her girlfriend's red cheek. Weiss' head hung on her leader's shoulder.

"The glyph pushed her to her limit."

Completely drained, Weiss had passed out. Those few seconds she was awake, she analyzed the situation and took the best course of action. Leave it to her to be perceptive even when half dead.

"She saved our butts," Yang said. "As usual…"

There was a moment of silence as the teammates' concern grew.

Gently, the blonde set a hand onto her friend's shoulder. "You gotta rest, dummy…"

Gradually, Yang's warm aura trickled into her frigid body. Weiss was cold. Too cold for being covered in so many layers. The friendly warmth enveloped Weiss' form as she let out a relieved sigh in her sleep.

"That probably made her feel a little better," Ruby said, taking note of her even breaths ghosting across her neck.

"Good," was all Yang replied.

Blake frowned when she stared at her black arm. "She should really worry about herself for once."

"Yeah…" Ruby mumbled.

"Ruby," Blake called, which caused Ruby to gaze seriously at her. "You can't let her use her glyphs again. We got lucky this time, but next time could be her final limit."

On her back, Ruby felt the faint heartbeats of her girlfriend. She could feel the feeble breaths breeze by her ear. She could feel how cold she was even after being filled and coated with warmth.

"I won't let her," the leader said with finality.

Blake nodded.

With that, the team continued trekking. According to the map, the train tracks were a few miles away. They had a couple hours to make it there.

Now and then, the team encountered the occasional beowolf pack. Blake and Yang mainly fought them off so Ruby could keep Weiss safe and prevent her from being in more pain.

Currently, the yellow and black pair were locked in combat with an alpha beowolf. They'd destroyed the remaining lackeys and locked onto the last target. Even as Yang and Blake panted and sweated with their legs burning, their eyes were hungry.

A huntresses' desire to protect was unshakable.

The partners refused to let grimm get near their leader and teammate.

During the fights, Ruby was conflicted. As a leader, she wanted to help her teammates. As a girlfriend, she wanted to help Weiss. Then again, she was her teammate. Her partner. Ruby had a duty to her partner.

Her black and yellow teammates didn't seem to mind engaging in all the combat. In fact, they looked like they were enjoying themselves despite being tired.

"On your left!" Ruby shouted.

Swiftly, Yang dodged a swipe from the alpha beowolf and simultaneously popped the kneecap. This caused the alpha to roar and falter. Blake took that as her chance to land the finishing blow on the back of its neck.

When the corpse began to dissipate, Blake and Yang exchanged satisfied glances. There was an aura around those two. It was purple and dancing. Yellow and igniting. Sheer determination.

Ruby could tell they'd lay down their lives to prevent any grimm from getting near them. Good thing the whole area was white. That made it easy to spot any darkness.

Through it all, the team was left exhausted. Several hours passed and countless grimm had been killed. So many that Blake and Yang made a game out of who could kill the most. Partner kills were half a point each.

After Yang dusted her hands off, she asked. "How many was that?"

"You got fifty-one, Yang," Ruby recounted as she slumped more forward, the small weight on her back was taking effect after the day. "Blake's at forty-nine and a half."

"Alright!" Yang pumped her fist in victory.

Blake did not look amused. "You stole some of my killing blows."

"Are you callin' me a KB stealer?" Yang asked.

"I'm not calling you a KB giver."

"Fair enough," the blonde said with a smirk.

Jokingly, the faunus smirked back.

As the two gazed at each other, Ruby was busy scanning their surroundings. To her surprise, she spotted the goal.

"I see the tracks!"

The final stretch. The huntresses could feel it in their bones, their aching muscles, their strained breaths, and their tightened chests.

"Finally!" Yang chirped.

Unable to help herself, Ruby used her semblance to dart ahead. There was a red and white swirl as light red petals drifted onto the snow. At least she left a trail to follow.

Blake sighed. "She's so energetic."

"She always is," Yang said fondly.

In no time, the black and yellow pair caught up to the white rose couple. True enough, train tracks were embedded in the snow. They were in the right place at the right time. Now all they could do is wait.

"We're here," Ruby said in relief as she tilted her head toward Weiss. "You hear that, partner? You're gonna be fine."

While Ruby celebrated, Blake checked her scroll.

"We have a few minutes- it's coming!"

"What?!" Ruby yelped, not expecting that to be so soon.

"Train coming," the faunus repeated as her cat ears flicked wildly. "It's early."

"Perfect timing," Yang said as she popped her knuckles, preparing to hop on. "We would've been so screwed if we took our time."

The giant machine rounded a mountainous corner as the horn blew for all to hear. Snow from above fell onto the train. As it rapidly approached, it was harder to stay balanced.

Determined, Ruby crouched.

"This is it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Classic bumblebee teamwork.
> 
> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	6. I'm Not Complete Without You

"Ruby...? What's going on...?"

The sounds of the train blasted through the winter wilderness. The noise was so loud that it roused Weiss to consciousness. Even though Weiss was being carried on Ruby's back, she barely heard her small voice over the sounds of the train.

In determination, Ruby tightened the grip she had on her girlfriend. "Don't worry about a thing," she said confidently. "We'll be back in Vale soon. Your antidote is waiting."

Antidote…

That's right... Weiss was poisoned.

She'd been in and out of consciousness for what felt like an eternity, so the concept of time was foreign to her. All she'd been doing was resting and absorbing any heat the blankets insulated.

Suddenly, it felt like they were flying. For being wild in combat, Ruby was graceful when she landed on something firm. It sounded like metal beneath her feet. Weiss couldn't tell, but now erratic vibrations rocked their forms. The wind became violent and relentless.

That's probably why Ruby lost her balance.

On instinct, Weiss flicked her wrist. The tiniest glyph spun below Ruby's feet and kept her locked in place. When a palm grabbed her pale wrist, the glyph broke off into thousands of tiny pieces.

"Weiss!" Ruby yelped in fright, keeping her hand around her own to stop her from using her semblance. "Don't waste what little energy you have! You'll make yourself worse!"

Oh no, Ruby thought. She can't die. I won't let her!

Dull gray eyes met silver in a silent gaze. That's when Ruby's expression softened.

"I know you want to help," Ruby said, empathetic. "But you need to worry about yourself. The team isn't complete without you. I'm not complete without you, so please…. Rest."

If Weiss kept pushing herself, her body would reach its limit. Ruby was aware her partner was stubborn and tough, but even she had limits. At this rate, Ruby was worried Weiss wouldn't live through the train ride.

Sensing how concerned her girlfriend was, Weiss rested her head into the crook of her neck.

"Fine…"

When she gave in, Ruby almost quirked a smile. "You've done more than enough for us. Leave everything to me, partner. I won't let you down."

You try so hard to shoulder things on your own, Ruby thought. Not this time.

"I know."

Blue eyes were growing heavy. Weiss allowed herself to shut down. The realm of slumber tugged on her, and this time, she let it pull her down without a fight. The last thing she heard was her blonde teammate's voice.

"Rubes!" Yang waved. "Over here!"

Carefully, Ruby bolted across the top of the train to her sister and Blake. Fortunately, the blonde found a way in. On the side of the train, there was a large glass window that led to a hallway. A long, vacant hallway.

Perfect.

After a grunt, Yang smashed the window with her robotic arm. It shattered into tiny pieces. When that was done, she backed away so Ruby and her partner could get inside first. After the leader leaped through the window, her teammates followed and landed softly on the carpet.

Tense, Blake whipped her eyes up and down the hallway. No one was there, but if they were caught sneaking on the train, the crew wouldn't be pleased. The last thing they wanted was another conflict when the situation was dire enough.

"Find an empty room," Ruby said. "These trains usually aren't full."

"Got it!" Yang replied.

As the team hurried through the narrow hall, Blake used her cat ears to hone in on any vacant rooms. So far, they all had people inside wondering what that noise was. They had to hurry or someone might peek into the hallway.

After a bit, Blake examined the side of Weiss' red face. She looked like she was in a peaceful sleep, but the faunus knew her body was in grave danger. It was an excruciating, internal battle.

"She used her semblance again," the faunus said sadly.

"Yeah," Ruby said. "I gave her a good talking to about that. I think she understands now."

Yang walked behind her sister as she placed a hand on Weiss' back. "So stubborn."

Calmly, the blonde trickled her warm aura into her friend's form. If Yang could make her teammate even a fraction warmer, or to feel a little better, she'd consider the transfer successful.

The sudden warmth caused Weiss to stir. The foreign aura acted as a signal for her body to jolt awake. At first, Ruby thought she shivered in her sleep again, but then Weiss spoke.

"Thank you."

"Glad to have you back," Yang softly greeted. "You gotta stop tryin' to kill yourself, princess."

Even though Yang was drained, she pushed more aura into her feeble teammate. The warmth spread from her center to the rest of her body. Slowly but surely.

Her black arm felt numb. As the warm aura flowed in like a calm wave, she felt some nerves returning as though they were being repaired. Weiss let out a soft sigh as her fingers twitched. She was numb and getting used to having feeling again.

"Feels so nice..."

That caused Ruby to chuckle a bit. "Sorry I can't keep you that warm."

Little by little, Ruby felt her heartbeat growing a little stronger. Firmer. The small aura transfer worked wonders for Weiss' frozen body.

"Save it," Weiss muttered, attempting to swat her teammate's hand away.

Reluctantly, Yang let go. Leave it to her to be perceptive even when half-dead. "You need it more than me."

"And we need you," Weiss reminded somewhat breathlessly. If something were to go wrong, they'd need Yang to be in top shape. "Stop."

After biting her bottom lip, Yang silently wrapped her orange scarf around her pale teammate. Its warmth did wonders, and Weiss was left to sigh from how cozy the fabric felt. Yang was about to say encouraging words, but Blake interjected.

"Here," the faunus announced.

The sisters stopped walking and turned to their teammate.

Easily, Blake pulled a useless gift card out of her right boot. After slipping it between the lock, she gave it a jiggle. The door propped open in seconds as Blake sauntered her way in like she'd done that a million times.

From the sight, Ruby wasn't surprised in the least. "Sweet ninja skills."

"Tell me about it," Yang said as she followed her partner.

Blake said nothing as she held the door open for them. In the room, there were two bunk beds. Perfect, but they weren't staying long. The train should reach Vale in a few hours. It'd do.

After Ruby carefully laid her girlfriend on a bottom bed, Yang and Blake went back by the door.

"We're gonna look for medicine," the blonde informed. "Does she still have a fever?"

Downcast, Ruby looked down at her girlfriend. She didn't even need to feel her forehead to confirm. One look at her red face and shallow breathing was all she needed to see.

"Yeah…" the leader confirmed as she sat next to her on the mattress.

"Alright, we'll get meds for that," Yang said. "They may not have an antidote, but we'll look anyways."

With that, the yellow and black pair closed the door.

The leader held her girlfriend's hand to be a grounding presence. An anchor to reality. Not knowing what was going on constantly had to be frightening for her.

"Weiss?" Ruby called softly as she leaned down. "Can I do anything for you?"

It took a moment, but azure eyes fluttered open. The worried voice of Ruby danced into her ears and coaxed her awake. It took effort, but she managed to speak.

"You being here is enough."

Her hand felt warm. She didn't know why until she felt a loving squeeze.

Stop looking at me like that, Weiss thought. You look like you're so worried, you'll be sick...

Determined to do something, Ruby carefully removed the blankets around her girlfriend's form.

"Are you hot?" Ruby asked, knowing the likely answer.

Despite shivering, Weiss said. "Yes…"

"Okay," Ruby said, keeping only one blanket over her form. Several looked like they suffocated her, so she removed a couple. "I need to check your arm. Tell me if it hurts."

Slightly, Weiss nodded.

Carefully- carefully, Ruby tugged off the sleeve from her good arm. It was easy to keep her steady with one hand since she was so light. Beneath her palm, Ruby felt her heart thrumming into her touch.

"Slow your heart for me, alright?" Ruby asked calmly. "Can you do that for me?"

After Weiss swallowed to calm herself, she nodded and closed her eyes. After a bit, her heart beat steadily.

"There we go," Ruby murmured. "Now I'm going to pull it down just a tiny bit."

When it was time for the injured arm, Ruby was wary- afraid. She didn't want to hurt her, but she had to check on the injury to see if the poison was spreading faster.

Weiss cried out in pain when the sleeve rolled down an inch.

"Agh!"

Her whole body jolted and her head lifted from the pillow. Frantically, Ruby held her down by pressing on her waist since that area wasn't infected.

"OhmygoshI'msosorryWeisspleaseforgiveme," Ruby profusely apologized. "I'm sorry you're in so much pain. I wish it was me instead."

"It's okay…" Weiss said as a bead of sweat dribbled down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry," Ruby replied as her voice cracked in misery.

Composing herself, Ruby gingerly dabbed the sweat away. The leader almost broke down when she realized how much pain her girlfriend had to be in.

Weiss' body was stiff like she was afraid to move. Her eyes were squeezed shut and a few warm droplets trickled down her cheeks. Ruby could easily tell it wasn't sweat.

"Nonononononononono," Ruby pleaded, distraught. "Please don't cry, Weiss. I'm sorry it hurts so much..."

"Ruby…"

"Yeah?" Ruby perked up from her name.

"Hurry up..."

That's when it clicked in Ruby. Her girlfriend wanted this to be as fast as possible to get over this pain.

"O-okay!" Ruby said. "It'll be quick, and then we'll get you back to Beacon. I bet they're serving salad next week. You'd love that. And then I'd get to see your smile. Ah, my bad..."

Realizing she was rambling, the leader finally tugged off the sleeve. This elicited a tiny gasp. Another round of apologies were murmured as Ruby tossed the jacket onto the floor.

To help her feel an ounce of comfort, Ruby leaned down and kissed her scorching forehead. When she leaned back, she wiped away the stinging-hot tears.

Seeing Weiss in such a state tore Ruby's heart apart. She almost began crying herself, but then noted she had to be strong for her girlfriend. Crying would make Weiss feel so much worse.

Firmly, Ruby squeezed her hand to be that grounding presence.

Ruby sniffled a bit and whispered. "I need to be strong for you and look at me…"

"Ruby…" Weiss called.

"What is it?"

"I'm okay," Weiss said as she tried to squeeze her hand back, but there was hardly any pressure. "Don't think for a moment you hurt me."

The dunce better not think she's the one who hurt me, Weiss thought. She's smarter than that.

It was hard to take those words to heart. Ruby used her red sleeve to dab away the sweat that'd beaded on her forehead.

"I'm sorry it hurts so much," Ruby said genuinely. "I love you, Weiss. I don't want you to be in pain, or suffer in any way."

"Don't be a dunce," Weiss mumbled softly. "That's the life we chose as huntresses."

For once, Ruby didn't say anything. Probably because Weiss was right. Despite that, Weiss didn't like seeing Ruby so sad. She'd never seen her so sad. And it was for her sake.

"But I understand," Weiss continued as she took a deep breath. "I wouldn't want you in this position, either."

"Weiss…"

Suddenly, a clicking noise echoed. They were back. After the door opened, the partners poured into the room.

"We got the goods!" Yang announced. In her palm were two red pills and a cup of water. "This'll help with the fever and any aches."

"We didn't find an antidote," the faunus stated after she handed her leader a cool washcloth. "I called Ozpin and he has everything set up for our arrival."

"Good work, team," Ruby praised as she slid an arm under her girlfriend. "It's time for some medicine."

At least there was something to make her feel better. Because of that, Ruby was determined to get the medicine in her.

"That's… annoying," Weiss said.

A cat-ear flicked from the comment. It was good to see her usual personality shining through during this unsettling time.

After a light chuckle, the leader gradually lifted her to sit upright. In doing so, Weiss grimaced and kept her black arm stiff on top of her stomach.

"Here," Yang carefully tilted a cup to her lips. "Keep some in your mouth so you can take the pills easier."

Following her instructions, Weiss pooled the water in her mouth. Blake then slipped the pills inside. Fortunately, Weiss had no trouble gulping them down.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it," the blonde replied with a tiny smile.

When that was over, Ruby laid her down on the soft mattress and made sure her head was on the fluffy pillow. Gently, the leader dabbed the cool washcloth onto her torrid skin.

A relieved sigh lingered as the coolness battled the heat.

As Weiss rested peacefully for once, the team looked down at her arm. It was dark like ink. Her entire arm was a blackish purple and no longer centered in one spot. The poison was spreading.

Amber orbs examined the terrifying injury. Blake couldn't even see her black ribbon. It blended with her skin.

Somehow, Weiss cracked open an eye and noticed Blake's shocked stare. "Take it," she said barely audibly. "You need it to fight."

"I'll manage," Blake said sternly. "You need it way more than me."

"We both know it's not doing much," Weiss retorted and closed her eyes.

She didn't have the energy to fight her on this. Blake could do what she wanted, but Weiss had to put that out there.

Before, the ribbon that belonged to Gambol Shroud slowed the poison. Now that the venom was crawling into her shoulder, it was inevitable. It was going to spread whether the ribbon was bound or not.

Deep down, Blake knew her teammate's words rang true. However, she wasn't about to fiddle with her injured arm. Not if she didn't have to.

"You're keeping it," the faunus left no room for argument. "Think of it as a luck charm."

Since Weiss was fatigued, she chose not to reply. It would be futile to argue with her. Instead, she savored the feeling of the cold on her forehead. Her entire body was burning, but her forehead was spared.

Lovingly, Ruby nuzzled into her neck. When Weiss felt her soft hair and smelled the scent of strawberries, her lips perked into a tiny smile.

After a few seconds of silence, Yang spoke.

"A nice old lady told me we'll be in Vale in a few hours."

The nightmare was almost over.

"The antidote is ready," the faunus stated. "Ozpin said he'd fill us in about the poison later. Apparently, he knows what caused it."

The team expected Weiss to comment, but she was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. She looked so tired even as she laid there. Her body was utterly exhausted from constantly fighting off the toxins ravaging her system.

"She's resting," Ruby murmured after she kissed her on the cheek.

Yang nodded. "You guys stay here. I'm gonna-"

The world abruptly shook.

What ensued was a round of shrieks from all over the train. The shaking was so violent that even Blake almost lost her balance. Ruby latched onto her girlfriend and leaned over her to keep her still.

"What is it now!?" Yang yelped as she held onto her partner for balance.

They couldn't catch a break.

"It's always something," Blake frowned as she swung out her katana.

Before they could act, the window shattered. Gusts of wind broke and scattered into the room. Ruby swiped away any shards of glass to protect her team. A few cuts scoured her skin.

Outside, multiple screeches vibrated the air itself. That belonged to one type of grimm.

"Be careful!" Ruby ordered.

Knowing what to do, Blake and Yang leaped out the window. Together, the partners glared down their opponents. Another horde of griffons. The blobs of darkness scoured the gray sky and warped the winter wonderland.

Swiftly, Ruby enveloped Weiss with another blanket to keep her warm now that the freezing air swirled inside. Her girlfriend didn't even flinch from the sudden events. She was out. To keep her safe, Ruby knelt on the floor as she cocked her sniper rifle.

With a sharp eye, Ruby stared out the broken window. Every time a griffon crossed her vision, a kill shot rang out. The grimm that had the unpleasant experience of being shot was already gravely injured by her partners and was trying to flee.

Not on her watch.

The train shook countless more times as the screams of battle echoed. Yang's grunts were rampant along with Blake's shouts.

Unexpectedly, a large griffon targeted the girl in red. She watched it prepare for an aerial dive into the window. When she realized what it was about to do, she gasped.

"Oh no."

With seconds to react, Ruby threw herself over Weiss. However, the impact never came. Instead, multiple gunshots rang out.

"Your opponent's me, asshole!"

After the blonde sucker-punched its beak, a clone of Blake forcefully kicked her from behind to get her back on board.

In response, the griffon roared and was about to propel itself to them when it recovered. However, an ice bullet caused it to drop like a fly onto the mountainside. The corpse rolled like a useless doll as the train rushed away.

Uneasy silence.

Ruby lifted herself off her partner and scanned the room. The train wasn't shaking. No more roars rocked the area and the sound of gunshots ceased entirely. That had to be a good sign.

Yang hopped back inside through the broken window. "Jeez, I bet they told their buddies how much of a challenge we are."

Blake followed with a fresh redness on her cheeks. Ruby only looked at them, checking them for injuries. Despite their stoic demeanor, Ruby could tell they were exhausted after today.

Blake crossed her arms, disgruntled.

"A minor inconvenience."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dayum Blake and Yang! You kick grimm ass like it's nothing!
> 
> angelsixtwofive added the word "disgruntled" round of applause to him, I guess. He's the word master. He has words. Sometimes for sale.
> 
> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	7. Much Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Just a reminder that this fic was originally 7 chapters total. Before, this would be the last chapter to this fic, which is why this may seem like a long 'prologue.' This would have been the entire story. BUT my friend convinced me to expand it into 26 chappys after he finished reading this chappy. So now after this chappy, the story will pick up. Thanks for your patience!

"Move it!"

Multiple squeals of surprise chimed as Ruby infused herself with the air itself. She was a red blur as she darted through the crowd. A few people got knocked down, but Ruby had no time to apologize.

With permission, Ruby had left her teammates behind. Weiss' very life was on a time limit, so the black and yellow pair urged their leader to use her semblance as fast as she could. When the train arrived in Vale, Ruby booked it.

Weiss' life was literally in her hands as they became a whirlwind of red and white. For a while now, Weiss had been quiet like she'd been in a deep sleep. But Ruby knew this was direr. The poison was spreading even as Ruby became the speed of light.

Beacon Academy was so close. Ruby could taste it on her dry mouth.

"Almost there!" Ruby shouted, her surroundings blurred into one confusing image.

In case her girlfriend could hear her, Ruby talked to her. To ease Weiss' nerves and even Ruby's own. Overwhelming urgency overflowed her form when Ruby noticed her girlfriend hadn't made a peep. During the ride, Weiss was draped over her girlfriend. Normally, she would make tiny sounds in her sleep. But Ruby heard only silence.

Ruby barely managed to dodge people. She was so swift that a few didn't have time to react. On occasion, Ruby apologized if she knocked them over. Common courtesy could wait, her girlfriend needed to be saved.

The poison was only spreading as Ruby flew-

"Ah!"

The leader was so fast she was soaring unceremoniously. She'd never used her semblance to this extent before. It was like she could go back in time if she wanted to. Despite the extra weight on her back, Ruby felt like nothingness as she became the air itself.

Soon enough, Beacon Academy was in view.

After a gasp, Ruby grinned like an eager puppy. Her prize was locked in. Hurriedly, she picked up the pace if that was possible. Her feet hadn't met the ground for several seconds. Since she had no friction, Ruby slammed into the entrance of the school.

Her adrenaline was pumping, so she didn't even feel the harsh impact. The doors busted off its hinges as Ruby came to a screeching halt. She almost wiped out, but she kept her balance, remembering she had a critically injured passenger.

From her sudden appearance, several students stopped in their tracks and stared at her in confusion.

"Uh, uh…" Ruby mumbled as she frantically whirled around. "Right! It's this way!"

Instantly, Ruby bolted to the left and down the hall. She hadn't been to the infirmary for a while, so she briefly forgot where it was located.

"We're here!" Ruby announced as she sprang into the infirmary. "Nurse!"

Normally, Ruby was more reserved when she interacted with people. When it came to her partner's health, she was more demanding. Weiss needed medical attention and she was going to get it as soon as possible. Waiting for the train proved to be taxing on her.

The nurse scurried over like she'd been waiting for their arrival. "Lay her on the bed over there."

In the back of the room was a single bed, so Ruby darted to it. Carefully, she maneuvered her girlfriend off her back and onto the mattress. The leader was meticulous with her movements and treated her like she was made of glass.

"Okay…" Ruby mumbled as she pulled up a blanket. "That should keep you warm."

Weiss was still burning with fever, but shivered on occasion. The thin sheet should do the trick. Fondly, Ruby leaned down and brushed her fingers through her damp white bangs.

"We made it," Ruby murmured sweetly and kissed her forehead. "You're going to be okay."

The leader was so worried about her girlfriend that she didn't notice Ozpin sitting next to the bed on a chair.

"You arrived quicker than anticipated," the headmaster mentioned.

Surprisingly, Ruby didn't flinch from the unexpected voice. Instead, she slowly positioned her girlfriend's dark arm to rest on her stomach.

"Got here as fast as I could," the leader stated. "Where's the antidote?"

"Here," the nurse said as she hurried over. She fiddled with the IV bag next to the bed and inserted a white liquid inside. "It's a direct injection."

When the needle was stuck into Weiss' black forearm, Ruby sighed in relief. It was like the world was lifted off her shoulders. Almost. Her girlfriend wasn't in the clear yet, but was on the way to recovery. Ruby had never been so happy to see a needle in her life.

After the antidote flowed into her bloodstream, the nurse hooked up the poisoned huntress to a heart rate monitor. Her heartbeat was slow and faint, but it was there.

Reassured, Ruby sat on the edge of the mattress. It took her a bit, but she found Weiss' pale hand and wrapped gentle fingers around her.

Ozpin noticed how concerned she seemed. Ruby's face was a tint of red. Probably from running for so long. And her breaths were a little shallow. Even she had her limits for speed.

"Blake informed me of what happened," Ozpin said, which caused Ruby to look over at him. "She said a griffon talon was the cause, correct?"

"Yeah," the leader confirmed. "Weiss said so. How the heck's that possible?"

"I suppose that should be a new unit to add to the curriculum," Ozpin mused.

Before Ruby could ask what he meant, the door creaked open.

"Sis!?" Yang called, sounding winded.

Ruby looked over her shoulder, taking note that the pair were heaving. Even without speed semblances, her teammates got here faster than she'd imagined.

"Back here!"

From her voice, the black and yellow partners darted to the back.

From the heart rate monitor, Blake's ears flickered. The tune was soft. Reassuring. At last, their friend was recovering. Her face looked tranquil, although it was still red. For once, an IV wire looked comforting.

To make sure, Blake asked. "Is she okay?"

"She will be," Ruby answered.

The relief was audible. Water coldly washed over them. The partners became relaxed and they practically collapsed onto the nearby chairs.

"Thank god…" Yang breathed.

When Blake was done scanning her friend, she looked to her headmaster. "What happened?"

The leader gazed back over at him, wondering the same thing. She tried to figure out what he meant earlier but got sidetracked.

"I want your team to know that what happened is a very rare instance," Ozpin informed. "In all my years of being at Beacon, this is the first case of such a thing happening."

"'Such a thing,'" Yang quoted, confused. "You mean no one at Beacon's been poisoned by a grimm before?"

"Not by a griffon," Ozpin elaborated as he leaned forward to garner their attention. "Some grimm go through genetic mutations. They're like humans and faunus in that way."

The team only listened as he explained.

"As we know, some mutations can cause disadvantages. For example, some grimm don't have very good sight. Others are created with less armor, etcetera. Other mutations can be beneficial. These grimm can spit fire, or throw spikes, and others. The griffon that poisoned Weiss had a rare venomous ability."

From the revelation, Blake leaned back in her chair as she was in deep in thought. "I've never heard of that."

"Sounds bizarre," Yang agreed.

"That's what I was telling Ruby earlier," Ozpin replied in understanding. "These genetic mutations are so rare that I neglected to have my students learn about such a thing."

With a frown, Yang gazed at her friend. "Just her luck."

"Indeed," Ozpin agreed with the sarcasm. "The concept in this case- when a grimm is poisonous through genetic mutation- is called Black Attraction."

The name caused Blake's cat ear to flick. "Yep, never heard the term."

"I'm sorry," Ozpin apologized. "This is a case where I've failed my students."

"Even if we did know," the leader interjected. "We would've been in the same predicament."

Interested, Yang chimed. "Is there a way to slow the poison from spreading?

If there was, then maybe it could have turned out differently.

"No, that's why it's called Black Attraction," Ozpin answered. "The venom is black and is attracted to tainting blood. If your team waited another day, you would have been too late."

From the news, Ruby gripped her pale hand firmly. "We did see the black venom when it first cut her."

There was a pregnant pause as the team recalled the image. It was like ink had tainted her skin and blood.

"Hey," Yang suddenly pointed at her teammate. "Her arm's turning purple."

The arm that rested on Weiss' stomach was now a dark violet pallor. It looked less unsettling now that it wasn't completely consumed by darkness.

"She's healing," Ozpin said with a hint of relief. "The antidote needs more time for her pigmentation to return to normal."

Unintentionally, Ruby sniffled a few times. Now that she knew her girlfriend will be okay and make a full recovery, a couple of droplets fell onto the blankets.

"Thank god," the leader murmured as she gazed down at her resting partner. "Thank god…"

From the sight, Blake and Yang shared tiny smiles.

"I'm sorry," Ozpin said genuinely. "If I'd known a rare grimm ability was present, I would have acted accordingly."

"There's no way you could've known," Ruby easily replied.

Since Ruby was focused on her partner, she noticed her face flinch a few times. The hand in her grasp lightly twitched. Ruby couldn't hide her excitement and gasped.

"She's waking up!"

From the news, Ozpin stood. "I'll give your team time alone."

When Ozpin reached the door, Yang called out.

"Hey, Oz," the blonde called solemnly. When Ozpin met her gaze, she said. "Thank you."

"It's merely my duty to help my students."

With that, the headmaster left the room and the door shut behind him.

Wanting to see if their teammate was okay, Blake and Yang huddled around the bed with Ruby. The three stared down at her with anticipation.

At last, blue eyes fluttered open. Her vision was somewhat blurry, but Weiss could tell her beloved team was happy to see her. She was greeted with kind smiles.

"Ruby…"

For the first time in a while, the leader grinned brightly. "Weiss! I'm so happy you're up! How're you feeling?"

Ruby's voice was chipper. She seemed delighted. That meant one thing as Weiss took in her foreign surroundings. She was recovering.

"I'm better," Weiss answered as her purple arm twitched. "Much better."

In this short amount of time, the antidote was working its miracle. Normally, a layer of sweat coated her body, but Weiss was relaxed and her skin was dry. For once, her heart wasn't so frantic. She felt worlds better.

Relieved from the reply, Ruby grinned. "I'm so glad."

Fondly, Weiss smiled up at her.

Yang playfully rolled her eyes. "Just kiss already."

Happily, Ruby leaned down. Their lips ensnared as affection for one another overflowed.

To Weiss, Ruby tasted like how she smelled. Like strawberries.

To Ruby, Weiss tasted like sweet peppermint.

Their kissing briefly sounded like ocean waves washing on a beach.

When Ruby hesitantly pulled away, Weiss caressed her cheek. The couple simply gazed at each other with adoring smiles as blue melted with silver.

When Yang thought it was safe, she glanced back over. "Glad you're okay, princess. Way to worry us."

Without missing a beat, Weiss said. "Shut it, brute."

Moments ago, the atmosphere was sweet and filled with affection. Now Yang was laughing.

"Your usual bite's back, ice queen," the blonde grinned. "Hurry up and get better, alright? We need you to scold us about not focusing on our studies again or we'll fall behind," she tried to joke.

Weakly, Weiss turned her head to face the rest of her teammates. "I will."

"Your lectures whip us into shape," Blake agreed. "Our grades might start slipping without you."

"Ruby's going to have to yell at you," Weiss said with a small smile. "Are you up for the task?"

"Of being the ice queen?" Ruby asked, skeptical. "Impossible! That's your job!"

"Hey!"

Yang crossed her arms and nodded. "I can never see Rubes being mean. Minus that one time, but that involved her cookies."

The mention of cookies caused Ruby to glare at her. "Don't mess with my cookies."

Jokingly, Yang raised her hands.

"Hey," Blake chimed with a smirk. "When do you think Ozpin will give us our next mission?"

"Don't even think about it," Ruby said. "We deserve to rest."

"Yes, we do," Weiss agreed.

Yang grinned, thankful that her team made it in one piece.

"That's fine with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this is where the fic ended. However, Shadow Nightblade told me it has more potential, sooooo I guess enjoy the rest of the ride. Seeya in about a month.
> 
> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	8. Suspicions

"Weeeeeeeissss," Ruby called. "Do you want water?"

A heavy sigh rang out as Weiss sat on her chair. "For the millionth time, I can get it myself."

"Let your doting girlfriend do it," Ruby said as she grabbed a cup.

It'd been a few weeks since the team arrived back at Beacon.

Currently, Weiss' arm was in a sling. To her, the bandage was overkill. However, the nurse insisted she doesn't move it for a while since the arm was considered fragile after receiving the antidote.

The sling restricted movement, so it was more of an inconvenience to Weiss by this point. Since Weiss felt like Ruby had been doing everything for her these last few weeks, she felt like a burden. To fix that feeling, Weiss stood from her chair and walked into the kitchen area.

"Ruby Rose," Weiss stated, which grabbed her attention like a child who didn't know what they did wrong. "I can get a glass of water by myself."

It was then that silver eyes drifted down to the blue sling. A noticeable frown formed on Ruby's lips.

"Ruby..." Weiss said softly. "What happened wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself. I won't let you."

"I'm sorry," Ruby replied somberly as she set down the glass. "It… must still hurt."

"Again, I'm telling you it doesn't hurt," Weiss insisted and held up her arm in the sling.

It was true. The last pang Weiss felt from any lingering poison was about a week ago. The antidote side effects simply made her fatigued more than usual.

"This is for show," Weiss said, referring to the sling. "I'm only wearing it because they quite literally forced me to, if you recall."

For the first time in a while, Ruby giggled. Before Weiss was discharged, it was the last day in the infirmary. Weiss felt well-enough to leave and almost made it out the door. Except the nurse grabbed her by the shoulder and gave her a stern talking to about needing the sling. When Weiss argued against it, the nurse managed to get Yang to help her shove her arm into the sling. It wasn't much of a struggle with two against one.

"You're a worried girlfriend, I understand," Weiss said genuinely as she pulled her in for a two-armed hug. "But this can't- won't- go on forever. Heal with me."

For a moment, Ruby simply melted into the embrace. She felt at home in her girlfriend's arms. The affectionate contact was exactly what she needed. Ruby nuzzled into the crook of her neck and returned the hug.

"You're okay," Weiss whispered. "And I'm okay. Understand?"

Lightly, Ruby pulled away and met her gaze.

"Yeah, I get it," the leader said, swimming in blue pools. "Sorry I made you feel coddled."

"You did no such thing," Weiss replied, which caused Ruby to perk up a bit. "Besides, I think it's time to come off."

"Huh?"

To prove her point, Weiss began to wiggle out of the sling. From the sight, Ruby gasped and grabbed her by the shoulders to stop her movements.

"Weiss- no!" Ruby yelped. "It's supposed to stay on!"

"It's supposed to come off at the end of the day, anyways."

It was true. The sling was no longer needed after today. The nurse told her how long she had to wear it, and today was the last day. Since Weiss had felt no pain these last few days, she figured now was a good time. To at least prove to Ruby that she was recovered.

"Yeah, the end of the day!" Ruby squealed, keeping a grip on her. "Not the beginning!"

"You have to see-" Weiss grunted from trying to get out of Ruby's grip. "-that I'm okay!"

The sooner she sees, the sooner she'll stop blaming herself, Weiss thought. She had that guilty look on her face.

When Ruby heard that, she released her girlfriend. In concern, silver met blue.

"Weiss, I believe you," the leader said and pecked her cheek. "You know how much I worry."

A sudden blush tinted Weiss' cheeks. Reluctantly, Weiss decided to keep the sling on after hearing those words. Since her leader stopped trying to prevent her from taking it off, Weiss relaxed a bit. Ruby showed her pure concern, so Weiss kept it on.

"I know," Weiss acknowledged. "You worrying about me is making me worry about you, dunce."

The odd phrase caused Ruby to giggle. "All this worrying can't be healthy."

"Exactly," Weiss agreed, casually glancing at the clock on the wall. "It's lunchtime. I bet you're hungry."

Maybe Ruby needs some food to be cheered up, Weiss thought. It'd take her mind off things.

"Am I?!"

From the mention of food, Ruby darted out the door. Weiss rolled her eyes when she was gone and left a trail of rose petals in her wake. It didn't take Ruby long to bolt back and hang just outside the door.

"Oops, I didn't forget you, I swear!"

"Wait up, will you?"

***

There's nothing in this one, too?

In frustration, Blake shut the fifth textbook and added it on top of the mountain next to her. Each book was about four inches thick. Amber eyes were beginning to strain.

For a moment, Blake sat there in silence with her eyes closed. The library was quiet. Exactly what she needed. If she was going to do research, she needed to be here.

This is so strange, Blake thought as she leaned back at her desk. I still can't find anything. Why is that? I have any knowledge I want literally at my fingertips, she thought as she gripped her scroll. Yet, there's nothing?

So far, none of Beacon's textbooks contained information about the lethal poison called Black Attraction. The type of venom was associated with rare, poisonous griffons. After hearing Ozpin's explanation of the venom, the faunus became intrigued.

Naturally, she set out to do her own research. Mainly to satisfy her own curiosity.

Why is there nothing? Was Ozpin lying? Blake asked herself. But why would he? What's there to lie about?

Since the faunus couldn't find anything about Black Attraction, she couldn't find a reason as to why her headmaster would lie to her team.

To focus, Blake propped up her chin with her hand as she stared at the blank wall ahead.

Ozpin did say Black Attraction is very rare, the faunus reasoned with herself. But he said that he should add the topic to the curriculum, so how would he if there's nothing in the library? He should be willing to teach us students.

Since the incident, Ozpin had said nothing on the matter. He only checked on the team now and then to make sure the antidote was working. The headmaster didn't bring up the term 'Black Attraction' ever again.

Is he hiding something? Blake thought with a jarring feeling in her stomach. This is beyond strange...

"Blake."

Cat ears flicked from the call of her name.

The voice belonged to her beloved partner. Clearly, Blake looked troubled as she met Yang's gaze. Immediately, the blonde knew something was wrong, so she took a seat next to her.

"What's up?" Yang asked, sincere. "You're missing lunch. Why do you have all these books?"

When Blake didn't reply, Yang picked up the one on top.

"The Mysteries and Anatomy of Grimm," the blonde read in boredom. "Blakey, you sure have bland tastes."

For once, Blake perked a smile. "Shut up."

"Seriously though, what's going on?" Yang questioned as she set the book down. "We don't have any tests coming up."

Subconsciously, Blake's cat ears folded on top of her head. Yang noted that's what her partner does when she's troubled about something. To encourage her, the blonde leaned in with a small smile.

"You know you can tell me anything. Or maybe you just really like learning about grimm. I won't judge."

That comment almost caused her to smile again. In turn, Yang smiled.

After a few beats of silence, Blake spoke.

"It's about the poison," the mention of the venom caused Yang to tilt her head like a golden retriever. "Black Attraction isn't in any textbooks. It's like it doesn't exist."

"Huh…" Yang mumbled, confused. "That's weird. You sure you looked hard enough?"

"I've been searching for weeks," the faunus revealed, which caused blonde eyebrows to raise. "There's absolutely nothing. Not even the Internet can tell me about it. Only Ozpin."

Disconcerted, Yang sighed. "Should we ask him more about it?"

That was the question Blake had been debating for a while now. There was a lingering suspicion in Blake's mind, so she dismissed the idea.

"No, I'm going to keep digging on my own."

"Are you suspicious of him?" Yang asked.

When Blake didn't answer, she lowered her head. Like it was taboo to be suspicious of her headmaster.

"You have that look on your face," Yang continued, earnest. "Tell me."

"Yeah, I am," Blake easily admitted. This was her partner. She trusted her with her life. "I don't think he told us the whole truth."

From the revelation, Yang clenched her jaw.

Their headmaster lied to them?

"We don't know that for sure," Yang said hesitantly. "But I agree. We should try to learn about it on our own. For now."

"What if we can't?"

Like the chandelier above them, silence hung.

***

"Ohmygoshitlookssomuchbetter!"

The arm that was once consumed by darkness was a vibrant white. Weiss smiled from how happy her girlfriend was reacting to her being recovered. It was about time they put this behind them.

The sling was tossed onto the floor. It was the end of the day, so Ruby was finally okay with Weiss removing it.

Silver eyes were practically twinkling from the sight. Ruby was bouncing up and down in excitement from the progress. With her girlfriend's permission, Weiss had taken off the sling. To get used to the movement, she moved her arm up and down.

"It feels better as well," Weiss noted, satisfied that no pains were present.

Before, if her arm was even touched, a round of pangs throbbed through her entire body. Now, Weiss could swing her arm around as she could before. It was like nothing life-threatening ever happened.

"Amazing..." Ruby gawked, remembering how black it was before. "Can I?"

"You're such a dunce," Weiss said with a playful eye roll. "You may."

Quickly, Ruby poked her arm and pulled away with a squeal. That caused Weiss to giggle a little.

Without warning, the door opened. As expected, the black and yellow partners trailed inside.

"Aw look at you!" Yang giddily exclaimed, noticing the sling had been discarded. "You look all better!"

"I certainly feel like it," Weiss confirmed as she let her dunce pet her arm.

Blake leaned down to look at her arm closely. "Looks good as new."

"Looks pasty as normal!" Yang chirped.

"Hey!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yang: "Looks pasty as normal!"
> 
> Shadow Nightblade: "Get fucked" *cracks up*
> 
> They're more mature in this fic, so they're questioning things and not taking 'answers' blindly.
> 
> Stay dandy,  
> ~Toto


	9. Thank You

Multiple giggles echoed in the room.

The speakers that were connected to the T.V. amplified husky grunts and punches. On their scrolls, the sisters rapidly poked all the shaped buttons. Ruby and Yang were sitting in front of the large screen on the floor with eyes wide.

Ruby scrunched her face in distress. "Stay down!"

Yang rocked back and forth with enthusiasm. "It's gonna take a lot more than a little kick to take me down!"

On screen, the avatars were locked in melee combat. Each bar in the corners of the screen was yellow and dipping into the red. The time was near.

Suddenly, the ninja on the right suddenly sucker-punched its pirate opponent. It was a total knockout when the bar dropped to black.

"Ah, darn it!" Ruby whined, almost throwing her scroll on the floor.

"Boom, kicked your butt again, sis," the blonde bragged.

The phrase:

Victory! Total annihilation!

Boomed on screen.

Yang threw a mini-celebration for herself with a giddy smile. Usually, their fights were close. For some reason, her little sister was off her game.

Behind the sisters sat Weiss, who studied the complex buttons on their scrolls.

"How on Remnant did you do that?"

Interested that Weiss was curious, Yang scooted closer to her teammate. "Oh, it's easy," she held out her scroll and explained with ease. "You press triangle, circle, circle, ex to jump, and then a final right hook with square!"

"That…" Weiss was utterly speechless as the foreign video game language drifted into her ears. "Makes absolutely no sense."

"Ah, ya learn quickly," Yang waved off. "It's really not that hard. You just gotta practice."

Eager, Ruby leaned in and said. "Try it, Weiss!"

"It's okay-"

Before she could decline, Ruby placed her scroll onto her lap.

"You can use mine. Just one round?"

Weiss was about to refuse, but then Ruby gave her those precious puppy dog eyes. Silver twinkled and kissed her soul. A blush formed on Weiss' cheeks when she thought about how adorable she is.

How is she so cute? Weiss thought. I can't say no to that. And she knows it.

Weiss heavily sighed as she picked up the scroll. "Fine."

"Don't you worry," the blonde eased with a smirk. "I won't go too hard on you."

"I'm so terribly excited," Weiss said blandly.

On screen, the same two characters appeared. To prepare for battle, Ruby sat next to her girlfriend, intent to give her pointers.

Begin!

"Kick her butt, Weiss!" Ruby cheered.

Since she had no idea what to do, Weiss pressed random buttons. "If I knew how!"

"Circle!" Ruby advised.

A tiny punch. Like a tap. From the impact, Yang chuckled a little. Weiss didn't even keep pressing circle. She just pressed it once for a little punch.

"Keep pressing circle!" Ruby exclaimed.

Relentlessly, Weiss punched the circle button repeatedly. On screen, her character was spamming a jab.

Yang smirked as she dodged. "I know your strategy."

Every now and then, Yang let her get in a few punches and kicks. Whenever Weiss landed a hit, that seemed to make her day.

While the sisters explained to her how to improve, Blake leaned onto the wall. The mattress below her creaked every now and then. She'd join them, but she was absorbed in the book she was reading.

Outside, the windows displayed a dark evening. The moon's rays trickled inside and lit up the room's dim lights.

From the sight of her team giggling, Blake smiled. They had a long last few weeks. It was nice to see them relax and be carefree for once.

The faunus let them enjoy themselves and smiled at the sounds of laughter. Her eyes were glued to the book in her lap.

The book was disguised as her Ninjas of Love series. In reality, the faunus was reading about genetic mutations in grimm. Not once did she come across the term Black Attraction and this was probably the hundredth book she's researched.

However, she did find some mutations Ozpin had mentioned. Like grimm able to throw spikes or spit fire, but none that could be created and become poisonous.

"I hate this game of emotions we play!"

The yelp caused Blake to look up. Looks like Weiss lost the round. Rolling her eyes, Blake went back to reading-

BOOM!

The team flinched in shock from the thunderous noise. It sounded like something violently exploded. The sound was so harsh it caused Blake's cat ears to ring. Her hands had to cover the appendages, or her head felt like it'd split in two.

"What the heck was that?!" Ruby yelped.

Weiss looked over at the door. "I think it came from team JNPR's room."

To find out what the noise was, the team darted out of their room and immediately noticed the door to their neighbor's room was seeping a dense smoke. As they moved closer, a few muffled coughs sounded.

Yang pounded on the door. "Everything okay in there?!"

There was no response, so the blonde twisted the doorknob. Usually, JNPR neglected to lock their door. After reassuring nods from her team, Yang opened the door. They were greeted by a messy scene.

Everything was covered in pancake batter. The floor, ceiling, walls, beds, nothing was left unscathed. Almost every spot was splattered in the sticky, yellow substance.

At first, team RWBY didn't see any members of team JNPR in there, but there was some movement. Pyrrha was sitting at her desk with her mouth dropped. The poor girl had been drenched in the pancake mix and the papers in front of her were destroyed.

Jaune, however, was only coated in the face. It was utterly obliterated and he couldn't even open his eyes until he wiped off the slime.

Nora got the worst of the explosion with the mix doused all over her body. She tried to use her tongue to lick the deliciousness off, but she got frustrated that she couldn't eat all of it. She offered to eat some off Ren, but he adamantly refused the offer. For… reasons... That's when team RWBY realized Ren was wearing his apron and chef hat while soaked in the batter.

"Oh uh, hey guys…" Jaune muttered. "Nice night we're having, huh?"

Team RWBY's jaws dropped. After they scanned the entire place from the safety of the doorway, Jaune spoke again.

"Can you help clean up-"

Yang couldn't shut the door fast enough.

"Nope," was all Yang said.

Ruby held her chin in thought. "I wonder how many pancakes they were making."

"They aren't even allowed to make pancakes in their room," Weiss pointed out. "Typical morons," she sighed.

Since the team was used to JNPR's shenanigans, they shook off the sight quickly enough.

Yang was about to comment, but she heard footsteps growing faint behind her. She glanced behind her shoulder. To her surprise, her partner was walking down the hallway and out of sight.

"W-wait up, Blakey!"

Weiss yelled after them. "Where are you going?!"

"Library!" Yang shouted. "Don't wait up!"

Weiss was utterly baffled from the reply. "The library? They're studying?"

"Huh," Ruby said. "That's weird."

"They're plotting something," Weiss said in suspicion as they disappeared around a corner. "I know it."

A door opened, and she looked over to see it was Ruby who was going back into their room. With that, Weiss followed her inside and shut the door.

Weiss sensed that her girlfriend was unnaturally quiet, so she asked. "Ruby?"

The leader looked over at her with tired eyes. "Yeah?"

Not just tired eyes. Ruby had bags under them. Weiss briefly wondered how she missed how tired her girlfriend was. How Yang missed that. How Blake missed that. The leader was having a blast playing video games, but now…

"Let's go to bed," Weiss suggested, noting the time was ten in the evening. "If I remember correctly, you woke up earlier than all of us."

"I'm not that tired," Ruby replied in a dull tone.

A white eyebrow perked. Weiss took that as a challenge, so she pulled down the blankets in her bunk bed. She sat on the edge of the mattress and pat the spot next to her.

"Come here."

There was no way Ruby could refuse an invitation. Slowly, she shuffled over and sat down. Naturally, Ruby rested her head onto her girlfriend's shoulder, leaning on her for support.

"What's this about?" Weiss asked quietly as if she was lulling her to sleep.

"It's just-" Ruby bit her lip as her hands curled into her shorts.

"Are you-" Weiss stopped herself, choosing her words carefully. "Are you still worried?"

A nod into her shoulder. Weiss wouldn't have felt it if she wasn't gazing down at her.

You dunce… that's all, huh?

Relieved, Weiss almost sighed. "Ruby, it's been several weeks."

Several weeks since Weiss had fully recovered. For some reason, Ruby was hard on herself over the incident. As time passed, Weiss reassured her that she bared no responsibility, but Ruby was Ruby.

"I know," the leader replied. "I know it's stupid, but I can't stop thinking about how I almost lost you…"

Azure orbs widened, so that's what this was about. Weiss was sure she'd feel the same way if her beloved was in a life and death situation. Ruby cared for her so dearly. It left Weiss to wonder how she got so lucky.

However, worrying so much was starting to affect Ruby's health, and Weiss felt partially responsible for that.

Touched, Weiss nuzzled into her soft hair and grasped her hand. "It's not stupid," she said firmly. "But worrying to this degree is unhealthy," she tilted Ruby's chin up to meet her gaze. "I'm right here."

Reassured, Ruby closed the gap to kiss her on the lips. The soft contact was passionate. Comforting. Calming. To put her at ease, Weiss placed a hand behind her head and deepened the kiss.

In that moment, Ruby knew this is real. She was heartened when she kept tasting Weiss. She tasted like sweet peppermint.

They eventually separated, and Ruby leaned down to her chest. Her heartbeat was strong. Firm. And beating like crazy. Ruby smiled from the observation.

Weiss happily wrapped her arms around her girlfriend as she let Ruby lean onto her.

Without warning, she brought them down on the soft mattress. A round of giggles ensued and the bunk bed creaked from the suddenness of it all.

"Weeeeeeiss," Ruby drawled teasingly.

"Don't act like you don't want to cuddle."

"Okay…"

If Weiss ever wanted to spoil Ruby, all she had to do was mention 'cuddle.' Her dolt always perked up from the mere word. Like how dogs perk up from the word 'walk.'

After Weiss made sure Ruby's head was on the fluffy pillow, she pulled up the blankets. The bunk above them prevented the lights from bothering them.

Lovingly, Weiss leaned over her and pecked her on the cheek. "Get some sleep, dunce. I'll be right here."

With a grin, Ruby kissed her on the nose. "Turn over."

Knowing this was her favorite position, Weiss rolled over. Happily, Ruby wrapped herself around her from behind. They fit together like the perfect puzzle pieces. There was nothing like snuggling into her hair and neck. To Ruby, Weiss always smelled like pine.

When Ruby was positioned, Weiss held onto the hand that was draped over her. Her fingers lightly curled around the hand as she quirked a tiny smile.

"Hey, Weiss?" Ruby whispered.

Her faint breath caused Weiss' neck to tickle. "Yes?"

"Thank you."

A wide smile. Weiss scooted herself closer into her dolt, giving her hand a loving squeeze. Ruby returned the gesture with her own grin.

No, thank you, Weiss thought. For everything...

After lying there for a few minutes, Weiss sensed her girlfriend was finally asleep. Her breaths were steady, the rise and fall of her chest were faint.

The bed was warmer.

When she knew Ruby was getting some much-needed rest, she allowed herself to follow into the realm of slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so pure. My heart. Ah god. How can such a monster write something so cute.
> 
> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	10. Trigger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I GRADUATED COLLEGE WHAT UP!!!!! LAST EXAM IN 1 HR. LES GO!

"No. No. No…"

Snow enshrouded the environment in a powdery blanket. The space was of a vast nothingness. Absolutely nothing. Not even the sky was blue. Only a dull gray.

"Not again…" Ruby mumbled. "This can't be happening again!"

Red swirled with white.

Ruby knelt onto the frozen ground, suppressing a shiver. In her lap was Weiss, who was silent and unresponsive. She was just as cold and as white as the snow beneath them.

Azure pools briefly fluttered open, only to close again.

"Weiss?!" Ruby pleaded. "P-please be okay..."

In desperation, Ruby put pressure on her wounds. Her beloved's forearm had been marred. Tainted a dark black. It was consumed by darkness. The rest of her body was being chipped away slowly by the black specs.

This was happening again…

Not again…

The liquid ink dripped down her forearm and infected the pure white snow. Splotches of red also stained the ice around them.

"Weiss?" Ruby's voice cracked with misery.

With her remaining strength, Weiss reopened both eyes.

"I love you, Ruby," she managed to feebly say. "D-don't forget that…"

Tears cascaded down Ruby's cheeks and met Weiss' own. Their tears mixed with each other's as Ruby had an iron grip on her hand, for fear if she let go, Weiss would slip away.

"Don't say that," the leader sniffled. She placed her other firm, yet soft hand over her waist, cradling her. "You-you're not going anywhere, okay?"

Tears began streaming out of Weiss' eyes. Like she knew that wasn't true. Somehow, she managed to find the strength to place her hand over her own.

Weiss gave her a faint smile, both eyes firmly on Ruby.

"I love you… dolt..."

Her voice wavered halfway through. Like she didn't have the measly energy to finish.

Weiss felt her vision fading and her hearing was failing her.

She knew she didn't have much time.

She felt herself slipping from reality. The lonely numbness washed over her.

The little grip she had on Ruby's hand was slowly waning.

Ruby gently brushed away her tears. "Don't say that! Y-you're not-!"

This can't be happening! Ruby thought. She can't die! I won't let her!

Before her eyes fluttered shut, Weiss lightly, so feebly, squeezed her hand three times. It was such a light grip that Ruby almost didn't feel it.

From the gesture, Ruby's heart seized. Like time was frozen.

Despite the tense situation, Ruby did what he always did.

She gave her four firm squeezes in return.

Weiss offered her a sincere smile. The corners of her lips barely twitched upward, but she could see it. Her lips rested in place. At the same time, the life fled from her eyes and her grip went slack.

"Weiss?!"

Frantically, Ruby attempted aura transfer. Her aura emitted a strong red light as her hands hovered above her leaking forearm. She ringed out as much aura as she could, but Weiss was unable to accept the process.

Unfortunately, there was no reaction from the motionless girl. Not even after Ruby waited a few long, torturous minutes.

"Weiss," she called. "Weiss, Weiss," the despaired huntress-in-training shook her gently, not knowing what else to do besides calling her name. "H-hey. We were supposed to finish school at Beacon together, remember?"

Icy pools remained closed as her face warped to white. Her body was limp on the blanket of snow.

All their hopes and dreams…

Their plans for the future.

Shattered.

"We were going to become official huntresses," Ruby said as her voice wavered. "We were supposed to kick more grimm butt together…"

There was no reply, which made her heart rip in half.

It was physical pain.

Ruby's throat was tight.

She could literally feel his heart be torn to pieces. The reality of the situation loomed over her. It was like a dark cloud was creeping on him, ready to pour over.

Biting back a cry, she gripped her hand tightly.

"I love you!" Ruby sobbed. "Please don't leave me!"

Her cries echoed into the nothingness. The white abyss.

"You can't! I won't let you!"

Not knowing what to do, Ruby lightly shook her. No response.

"Wake up!"

Several more shakes garnered nothing.

"You have to-"

"-uby…"

The moment she heard her name, Ruby continued to pour her own life force into Weiss.

"Weiss? Weiss?!"

Without warning, azure pools shot open. Like nothing happened, Weiss swiftly pushed herself up and grabbed Ruby by the shoulders.

"Ruby!"

A heavy gasp, and silver eyes shot open.

Darkness.

Is this what it felt like to die?

"Wha…"

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked in a soft voice. "You had a nightmare. A really bad one."

For a moment, Ruby tried to control her breathing. Her heart was beating a million miles an hour. A sheen layer of cold sweat coated her face. This didn't go unnoticed by Weiss, who wrapped her arms around her to protect her in a way.

As Ruby gathered herself, she realized that the arms around her were firm. Real. Like she was scared of confirming it, Ruby pulled away to see her girlfriend's worried expression.

White eyebrows knit together in concern. When Ruby knew for a fact Weiss was okay, she wrapped her in another hug, just happy to hold her.

So happy.

Muffling a sob into her shoulder, Ruby whispered. "I'm okay now. Because you are."

Weiss didn't know what that meant. Instead of questioning her, she wrapped an arm around her waist, and another cradled the back of Ruby's head.

"It's okay, my dunce…" Weiss murmured as she nuzzled into her neck. "Everything's okay…"

For several moments, Weiss held Ruby there. The blankets around them were warm. The mattress was soft. Weiss held her until her heartbeat became steady. Until her dolt gradually stopped hiccuping in distress.

It did wonders for Ruby. To just feel her. To know that Weiss was okay. Weiss was real.

When Ruby finally composed herself, Weiss deemed it safe to pull away and meet her watery gaze.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Weiss asked, genuine.

"No, it's okay," the leader whispered, keeping a grip onto her. "We can talk about it in the morning."

After a nod, Weiss said. "Okay."

She understood that. Since Blake and Yang were trying to sleep, Ruby probably didn't want to wake them.

"Come here," Weiss scooted closer to her.

Gradually, Ruby laid in front of her girlfriend. She kept her wrapped in a hug. A protective embrace. She snuggled up into her girlfriend's chest, placing her head into her shoulder. Like she was her lifeline, Ruby held on.

Weiss returned the embrace wholeheartedly. She held onto her, challenging any more nightmares to dare get near. She didn't fall asleep. Instead, she trickled meticulous fingers through her hair. They were feather-like touches.

That was more than enough to coax Ruby to sleep. Her breath was steady and faint.

When Ruby finally fell asleep, Weiss joined her in the realm of slumber.

Early rays seeped through the windows and dimmed the room.

For a while, Ruby had been awake. She fell asleep for a bit, but couldn't stay asleep. The nightmare had shaken her to her core. She couldn't stop thinking about it as she sat at her desk.

That happened again, Ruby thought. It was just a dream, but that was what could've happened to her if we didn't act fast enough...

To reassure herself that her girlfriend was okay, Ruby glanced over her shoulder. Her beloved was asleep. If Ruby hadn't focused, she would've missed the tiny bump rising and falling under the blankets.

Her girlfriend was okay. She was alive. Breathing.

After a soft sigh, Ruby blankly gazed down at her desk.

The poison almost took her, Ruby thought. Black Attraction… I need to know more about it so no one else can suffer what she went through.

The room was quiet. It was only Ruby and her thoughts, which was strange. Yang and Blake had left to get breakfast. For some odd reason, they woke up early.

They've been acting weird lately, Ruby briefly thought. Yang never gets up this early if she doesn't have to.

"Ruby?"

Ruby had been so busy in her thoughts that she didn't hear the blankets or bunk bed shift. Weiss was sitting up and wiping the tired from her eyes.

"Oh, hey, Weiss!" the leader greeted with her usual chipper smile. "I made you coffee."

Sure enough, the entire room smelled of beans.

From the greeting, Weiss almost frowned. It was like Ruby was trying to gloss over what happened last night.

Still in a daze, Weiss asked. "What time is it?"

"Uh," Ruby glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's 6:30."

Not at all stunned, Weiss stood to make her bed. "Did you go back to sleep?"

Not one to lie, Ruby said. "Kinda sorta."

Weiss gave her a knowing look.

"Not really..." Ruby admitted in defeat.

"Ruby…" Weiss said in worry as she approached her. "What was that nightmare about?"

"I-..." Ruby stopped herself, glancing down at the floor. "Nothing important."

Perturbed by the answer, Weiss set her hands on her hips. Ruby knew that look. That was the look that Weiss wasn't going to back down.

"Ruby Rose, you know you can tell me."

If that nightmare was enough to cause a physical reaction, it was important to Weiss. Even if Ruby had a tiny nightmare, Weiss wanted to chase it away. Nothing troubled her dolt. Not even some nonexistent nightmare.

I don't want to think about it, Ruby thought. That you- you…

"Weiss?"

"Yes?"

With a tint of sadness in her eyes, Ruby asked kindly. "Can you please forget about last night?"

"You know that's impossible," Weiss pointed out bluntly, without missing a beat. Ruby's reaction was exactly what she expected. That she knew it was true.

"Whatever nightmare you had is bothering you," Weiss said with no doubt. "You still look tired, you look troubled, and now you're avoiding my eyes. Please tell me."

Flashbacks of the nightmare flooded her mind. Holding Weiss as her last heartbeat fleeted her body. The blackness that consumed her very being. The blood.

Then the real memory surged over Ruby. The one that actually happened. The true nightmare. The hell she endured during those days several weeks ago. Not knowing whether her beloved would survive or not...

She couldn't imagine how Weiss felt.

"Ruby Rose, you will tell me this instant," Weiss said sharply, yet softly. "We need to work through our problems together."

That's right… they were a couple. They were a team.

Any problem Ruby had was automatically Weiss', and vice versa.

"I-"

Before Ruby could explain, the door flung open and hit the wall.

"Oops," was all Yang said.

Blake and Yang poured into the room with four plates in hand. The food smelled like bacon, pancakes, and syrup. The steam wafted into the air, joining the coffee scent.

To their surprise, Ruby and Weiss were awake. Weiss was expected, but definitely not Ruby. At least the door slam didn't wake them up.

"Who wants breakfa...st…" Blake trailed off when she noticed the atmosphere in the room.

To make things less awkward, Yang tried a dry laugh. "What's goin' on?"

Weiss looked to her leader, wondering if she should stay quiet about the matter or not.

This can't happen to another person, Ruby thought. I don't know what I'd do if…

Before she could dread almost losing Weiss again, Ruby gazed directly at her teammates. Fiercely. Confidently.

"I'm going to look for another grimm with that poison ability."

"Pardon?" Weiss asked, dumbfounded.

Yang looked equally confused. "What?"

Intrigued, Blake set the plates on her desk to focus on the conversation. "What brought this on?"

Softly, Ruby gazed at Weiss. "I can't stop thinking about how I almost lost you."

"Ruby…" Weiss said sadly.

"I've been thinking," the leader said, in deep thought. "If that poison is so rare and it almost killed a huntress-in-training, what would it do to normal people?"

"Kill them for sure," Blake answered.

"No doubt," Ruby agreed wholeheartedly. "Think about it. Ozpin had an antidote ready even though Black Attraction is super rare. He had it ready to go on a day's notice."

Now that's something Blake failed to consider. Cat ears perked up from the newfound revelation. Her leader was more perceptive than she realized.

"Yeah, hey, you're right!" Yang exclaimed, also never thinking about that.

Silver eyes narrowed as Ruby kept direct eye-contact with her team.

"There was something about how Ozpin worded his explanation- I don't know. I have a weird feeling."

It was like Ruby was reluctant to say that. She sounded conflicted, but ultimately had an inkling her gut feeling was correct.

Without hesitation, Blake stated. "We're in."

Yang nodded, confident. "We've been in."

Interested, Ruby asked. "What does that even mean?"

Blake glanced to her partner and herself. "We've been suspicious of him for a while now."

The leader smiled with relief. "I'm glad I'm not the only one, but I'm not letting you help me."

That's when Weiss stepped forward to be by her side. "That's too bad."

A sigh. Despite that, Ruby was glad. Glad she has such a great team.

Yang smirked. "You can't get rid of us that easy."

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The team is in this together! As they should be. What on Remnant is Ozzy hiding?!
> 
> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	11. It Matters!

"Is that all of 'em?"

After Blake tossed what felt like the thousandth book onto the shelf, she heavily sighed. "I think so."

The black and yellow partners stepped back to take a look at their collection. There were four large book carts in total. Each contained five shelves that were stacked with dozens of books. Books specifically about the anatomy of grimm.

On top of one of the carts was a bright laptop.

Happy with the results, Yang popped her fingers. "This'll show him we mean business."

"Yeah," the faunus agreed, liking how eager her partner was. "Let's go. I want to return these as soon as possible."

Checking out all these books from the library was troublesome to say the least. That's why, over the course of a few days, the partners smuggled the books out of the library. There was no way the librarians would allow them to check out so many books at one time.

Blake blamed Yang for her bad influence.

Together, the partners each pushed two heavy carts. They shoved through the halls and over the soft carpet. A few students walked by them, eyeing the strange display. Overall, no one questioned them as they made their way through Beacon Academy.

"You remember what to ask him, right?" Blake wanted to clarify.

Yang sent her a strong-minded grin. "He won't dodge our questions this time."

Blake gave her a determined gaze. "We won't let him."

It took a few minutes and several unwanted stares, but the partners finally arrived at their destination. With nothing stopping her, Yang kicked open the double doors.

In the center of the doors were the words:

Headmaster's Office

Together, the teammates poured into the common area that led to the office. In the front was a large desk with the name tag labeled, "Ms. Goodwitch."

Since Goodwitch was writing something, she looked up and set down her pen. Upon seeing the two enter, Glynda stood in surprise. To see several large carts of books and these two, in particular, was unexpected, to say the least.

As far as she knew, Yang wasn't much of a reader. Blake stayed out of trouble, so she was never sent to the office. It was an odd pair in this room.

"What on Remnant are you ladies doing?" Goodwitch asked, skeptical.

Blake and Yang pushed the carts passed her like they ignored her question. They stopped just before a single door appeared to the side of the room.

With resolve, Blake sent her professor a knowing gaze. "Proving a point."

Intrigued, Glynda crossed her arms. "Do you have an appointment with him?"

As Yang twisted the doorknob, she smirked. "Don't need one."

A situation this sketchy didn't require an appointment. Sure, Ozpin was busy, but the partners wanted to surprise him, not possibly help him have time to think of possible excuses to spoon feed them.

Seeing as her students moved with purpose, Glynda decided not to argue. Not making an appointment wasn't the end of the world. And she could tell whatever the two had to talk about with the headmaster was important, so she let it slide.

"Very well. Don't cause any trouble."

Suppressing a laugh, Yang said. "You know that's impossible."

After rolling her eyes, Glynda took a seat and focused on the mountain of papers on her desk.

With that as permission, Yang opened the door. Quickly, the partners flowed into the smaller room. It was dim aside from the window that allowed little light. As expected, Ozpin was on his desktop. His swivel chair slightly turned from their arrival.

"Ladies," Ozpin greeted, wonderment in his tone. "What can I do for you?"

Instead of answering, Blake and Yang pushed the huge carts to the front of the room. From the suddenness of it all, Ozpin leaned back in his chair as he watched the two move with purpose.

Alright, time to analyze him, the faunus thought. Give me one thing to latch onto, Ozpin.

Calmly, Blake gestured to all the books. "There's nothing."

Ozpin perked an eyebrow, skeptical. "Nothing about what?"

Knowingly, Yang approached him with her laptop in hand. "There's also nothing about Black Attraction on the Internet," that caused Ozpin's eyes to widen like a child who'd been caught stealing from a cookie jar. "Care to explain?"

"As I said before," Ozpin set his hands on his desk like he had total authority. "Black Attraction is a rare poison. It doesn't surprise me you didn't find anything about it."

"Absolutely nothing about it?" Blake questioned, sounding like she didn't believe him. "Not even scholarly articles?"

That's when Ozpin remained silent. It was clear he was debating what to say and was trying to choose his next words carefully.

Before he could think of an excuse, Yang said. "What about the antidote? If Black Attraction is so rare, how'd you find one on such short notice?"

That's when Ozpin smugly smiled. It was like he'd been waiting to be asked that question. In response, amber orbs narrowed.

You look sure of yourself, the faunus thought as she glanced to Yang, who adorned a frown. She's mad.

"My academy is exceptional," Ozpin explained. "We have to have medical supplies ready on short notice. My students are hunters and huntresses-in-training, after all."

Ozpin sensed his students weren't satisfied with the answer, so he continued.

"The antidote given to your teammate wasn't to cure Black Attraction. The antidote given to Weiss focuses on curing venomous king taijitu bites."

The revelation caused Yang and Blake to be taken aback, so the headmaster explained.

"That's why it took Weiss longer to recover than we would have liked. We didn't- couldn't- give her the proper antidote, but it worked nonetheless."

From the revelation, Blake's jaw almost dropped. "Are you saying that it might not have worked?"

Ozpin's poker face never faded like he knew all. "There was a very high probability that it would work. Our professionals made sure of that before administering the antidote."

The partners adorned frowns, thinking that they took a gamble with their teammate's life without knowing.

"Weiss was in the best care we could offer," Ozpin said earnestly. "You must understand. Administering an antidote specifically for Black Attraction is impossible."

That caused cat ears to perk up. "Why?"

"There is none. It doesn't exist."

He did say it was rare, Blake reasoned. But...

Not one to be distracted, Blake stood confidently in front of his desk. "You still haven't answered my question."

From that, Ozpin met her fierce gaze.

"Why don't people know about Black Attraction? It's rare, sure, but if it's so rare, it must be valuable. Shouldn't you have kept some of the poison to study if it's practically unheard of?"

Proud of her, Yang sent her a reassuring nod.

From her line of questioning, Ozpin sighed like this conversation was physically draining him. Almost like their questions and curiosity didn't matter. That their truth-seeking was a nuisance.

"Students," Ozpin addressed like he was talking to children. "This, in all likelihood, will never happen again."

The way he phrased that was like he was trying to dismiss the confrontation.

Lilac orbs narrowed as Yang's tone dropped. "But it could happen to someone else."

Ozpin kept direct eye-contact with both of them. "My advice is that you focus on your studies. Learn about what matters."

"Black Attraction matters!" Yang shouted, which caused Ozpin to lean back. "It almost killed our teammate!"

Normally, Blake would try to calm her down, but this was needed. Yang's yells showed their frustration.

Knowing that was a good point, Ozpin said. "You're right, Yang. It almost did. However, you know your experience was rare. Take comfort in the fact that it won't happen again."

"You don't know that for sure," Yang countered.

It's like he's reading from a script, Blake thought as she studied his gaze. He won't tell us anything. He's a lost cause.

Firmly, Blake grasped her partner's hand. "Come on, Yang. We'll find answers elsewhere."

Before the faunus could pull her out the door, Yang asked with her voice shattered.

"So you're not gonna tell us?"

Ozpin firmly met her frustrated gaze. "There's nothing to tell."

That earned the most pissed off scowl Blake had ever seen.

Liar, Blake thought as her cat ears flicked. His voice frequency dropped a few octaves.

Before Yang shut the door, she glanced over her shoulder.

"What happened to our teammate was personal. And we're going to find out what exactly- whatever the hell that was."

Before Ozpin could reply, they left the room and let the door shut. Ozpin was left with dozens of unwanted books. After a while, Ozpin heavily sighed.

"Such headstrong students. They would despise the truth…"

***

"He didn't say shit!"

Yang yelled that as she stormed inside her room. They had to leave quickly or the blonde would say something she might regret. Blake made no attempt at trying to calm her down since she was equally frustrated and angry for how he treated them.

Like children.

Their arrival was sudden, so the white rose pair froze in place and gave them their attention. All they could do was stare, finding frustration to be intense and visible. So vivid that they could cut the air with a knife.

Completely dumbfounded, Ruby asked. "What?"

"Ozpin is no help," Blake said as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

A frown formed when she recalled his smug smirk earlier.

"We kinda figured that'd happen," Ruby said evenly, shrugging it off. "He obviously doesn't want us to know about whatever that poison is. Whatever that grimm is."

"Which is all the more reason to investigate further," Weiss said knowingly.

"Exactly," the leader replied. "We're onto something, and he knows it."

If the headmaster didn't want them investigating, that meant something juicy could be uncovered. Their main motive was to prevent anyone else from suffering from this so-called Black Attraction, but now there was a mystery as to how such a grimm exists. If Ozpin wasn't going to spill the beans, they'd spill it themselves.

Still fuming, Yang tossed a few water bottles into her yellow bag. "He's supposed to teach us. Instead, he's hiding something from us!"

To calm her, Blake set a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get to the bottom of it, okay? For now, let's focus on packing."

A three day weekend was coming up. The team decided that was the perfect opportunity to investigate. They were going to need time to do so. Three days should suffice for now. They planned on heading out tomorrow, so they had to pack now.

Warm clothes scattered around the room. Various foods like fruits, chips, and cookies coated the floor. The white rose pair was still trying to ration the snacks. Dozens of water bottles took up a large chunk of space.

"Stupid…" Yang mumbled under her breath, referring to her sketchy headmaster.

Barely, Blake's cat ear flicked. From hearing that, she stifled a laugh. It wasn't often that Yang resorted to name-calling when she was mad.

While folding her clothes, Weiss said. "Realistically, we may not find anything. What happens then?"

"Let's wait until we're there to make that decision," the leader replied. "It's too early to say."

Before her team could say anything else, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," the faunus said.

With a poker face, Blake opened the door. To her surprise, Jaune and Pyrrha were standing in front of her with concerned expressions.

"We heard shouting," Jaune explained. "Sounded like Yang?"

"Is everything okay?" Pyrrha asked, trying to peek into the room.

Slightly, Blake opened the door to ease her nerves. "We're fine."

In short, the room was a disaster. It looked like a tornado ripped through.

"Woah," Jaune breathed. "Your room's a mess."

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang yelled in unison.

"Says you!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The team is taking matters into their own hands!
> 
> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	12. Black Attraction

"You got the tickets, Rubes?"

Proudly, Ruby presented the four printed tickets to her team. "Yep!"

Multiple sighs of relief at the sight. The team was almost late because Yang had a difficult time getting out of bed. With the persistence of Blake, she managed to nudge her awake. Or slap. Must've been a long night for Yang.

Weiss glared at the blonde with sarcasm evident. "You had to sleep in."

"Hey," Yang said. "We got the tickets!"

"Barely," Weiss replied.

Dropping the subject, each team member grabbed a ticket from their leader. The airship would be here soon. Really soon. Weiss was right. They hardly made it. They had to get to their gate or they might miss it.

"Who's ready to get some answers?!" Ruby chirped with glee.

"You're sure eccentric," Weiss observed, quirking a small smile when she watched her girlfriend grin widely.

From the sight, Yang said. "Probably because she made coffee. She knows that's one of the few ways to get me outta bed!"

"Yang," Weiss addressed her like she was speaking to a child. "I told you not to give her coffee. You know how she gets- ah!"

"Meet ya there!" Ruby exclaimed.

Without warning, Ruby had grabbed her girlfriend's slim arm and zipped away. The couple was a blur of red and white petals as they zoomed passed dozens of travelers. In the distance, Weiss' startled yelps and chidings echoed throughout the station.

Blake sighed pleasantly. "You did this," she glared at her partner.

Yang only shrugged. "At least we'll get to our gate faster this way."

Together, the partners followed the other half of their team. It was easy to do, considering the path the white rose pair forged left dozens of startled citizens in their wake. The station was bustling with people. Probably because it was a holiday. Lots of students were more than likely going home to see their families for the small three-day break.

In no time, the four gathered at the gate. As expected, Weiss was still lightly scolding her leader about proper traveling etiquette. That especially meant no shoving people out of the way with her semblance.

"Don't use your semblance, you dunce!" Weiss exclaimed. "You almost knocked over a poor old lady!"

Ruby attempted a dry laugh. "I almost steam rolled her," the comment caused Weiss to scowl. "Hey, I moved out of the way in time!"

"You wouldn't have if I didn't push you!"

Blake playfully rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. "So that's who the scream belonged to."

There were many brief gasps, but only one startled screech.

"Rubes, don't do that again," Yang advised, which earned a nod. "Anyways, who wants lunch? I'll get us food."

"Oh," Ruby raised her hand like she was in school. "Me, mememememe pick me!"

Like she was a teacher, Yang pointed to her. "Yes, the girl with ADHD?"

That caused Ruby to jokingly pout. "Hey now."

The leader was so hyper that sometimes Yang did think she had ADHD. Instead, her personality was the culprit, which was endearing.

"Don't get her sweets," Weiss said somberly, which earned a 'no duh' expression. "I'm fine with anything except sandwiches."

Thinking that was an odd request, Blake looked confused. "That's like, the only thing they have here."

Yang pretended to write down her order on her scroll, never losing her smug grin. "The hunkiest, meatiest sandwich there is, comin' up."

"Hey!"

"I'm sure I'll find something for you," the blonde reassured. She sounded confident even though she didn't know her teammate's tastes that well. "What do you want, Blakey?"

"I'll come with."

"Alrighty then," Yang accepted with a grin and turned toward the couple with an accusatory glare. "Behave yourselves."

Ruby crossed her arms proudly, tilting her chin up defiantly. "I don't need supervision. I'm an adult."

Weiss sent her a deadpan expression. "You're seventeen."

"Don't shatter my hopes and dreams!"

Teasingly, Weiss pat her on the head a couple times like she was petting a cute dog. "There, there. You'll be an adult eventually."

All Ruby did was pout as she allowed herself to be pet by her girlfriend. "You're only two years older."

"Two years wiser."

"Ugh," Ruby scoffed in feign annoyance. "Yang, tell her- where'd she go?"

"They left," Weiss said, watching the pair disappear around a pillar. "They probably didn't want to stick around for the argument. You can't blame them."

Ruby sighed. "I hope they get me a cookie."

Playfully, Weiss held onto her girlfriend's arm. The sudden contact caused Ruby to blush.

"My dear Rose," Weiss addressed teasingly. "Are you saying you didn't pack any?"

It was impossible. Weiss couldn't fathom her girlfriend ever stepping outside without one of her cookies. It was a borderline addiction, but endearing nonetheless.

"Of course I packed some," Ruby replied like that was obvious. "I wanted to try a different kind of cookie."

"Oh?" Weiss perked a white eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Ruby chirped. "Like cookies from an airship station."

"You realize those are cheap, off-brand cookies, yes?"

"Unlike you, I don't discriminate against any kind of cookie," Ruby crossed her arms confidently. "Sometimes, you'd be surprised. The ones at the other station are pretty good."

Confused, Weiss slightly pulled away to give her a skeptical look. "I think you just have bad tastes."

"In cookies, yes," Ruby admitted. "But not in girlfriends."

That caused a red tint to appear on Weiss' cheeks. "You-"

Suddenly, the intercom boomed:

Flight number 376 is almost done boarding. Remaining passengers come to gate ten immediately.

"They already boarded?!" Ruby yelped as she whipped her head around for her teammates. "Oh no."

Azure orbs widened as Weiss searched for them as well. "Are they-"

"We're here!" what sounded like Yang announced.

Suddenly, Blake and Yang rushed up to them with a few bags in hand. Proudly, Yang handed them their lunches.

Meticulously, Weiss inspected the transparent bag like she was unimpressed. "A burrito?"

"It's not a sandwich," Yang said confidently. When she received a frown, she said. "You're welcome."

"No time!" Ruby yelped as she shoved the grilled cheese in her mouth. "We gwotta gwo!"

Shocked from the sight, Blake yelped. "Ruby, remember to chew!"

In response, Ruby chomped down on the sandwich as it slightly burned her mouth.

"Dolt."

Together, the team grabbed their luggage before rushing through a small patch of people. Eventually, they successfully boarded the airship and found their seats.

"Safe," Ruby said as she sat down next to her girlfriend.

"Barely," Blake said, taking note that all the passengers were glaring at them. Probably because they were the last people on the airship and had been waiting patiently for them.

To ease the tension in the atmosphere, Yang chirped.

"Sorry guys! I slept in, you know how it is!"

That earned few giggles.

With a smile, Yang sat next to Blake.

There was plenty of room on the ship. The seats only took up about half of the total amount of space. Since the flight was several hours, the team planned to eat and overall relax until they reach the winter wonderland again.

At last, they could enjoy their food in peace.

Ruby looked like she was almost choking when she took another greedy bite of her sandwich. Weiss was there to trace circles on her back.

Worriedly, Yang glanced over at her sister. She'd gulped down half her food like a vacuum. It was clear Weiss was trying to make her breathe properly and comfort her.

"Yang," Blake whispered. "Ruby's fine."

"Pft," the blonde waved off. "I know that."

Knowingly, Blake stared at her. "Try to enjoy the ride and eat your chicken sandwich."

"Fine, fine," the blonde simply said. "Hey, can I have a bite of your salad?"

The small bowl was firmly in Blake's lap. When she nodded, Yang happily stabbed a piece.

"Thanks, Blakey!"

Aside from the occasional chatter of the ship, it was relatively quiet. Most of the passengers were adults who traveled alone.

Before they knew it, a couple hours flew by.

During that time, the team found themselves asleep. Before the white rose couple drifted off, they held hands. Meanwhile, Yang and Blake rested their heads on each other's shoulders.

…

BOOM!

A violent shake rocked the airship. It was so relentless that it knocked it off balance. The vibrations jolted the team and anyone else who was sleeping awake.

"What the…" the blonde breathed, still in the haze of sleep.

Multiple yells.

On high alert, Blake glanced out the window. Multiple black masses swarmed the airship. Cat ears caught the vibrations whirling outside. That only meant one thing.

"Lancers."

"Shit," the blonde cursed, standing from her seat.

She glanced over her shoulder. Good, the rest of her teammates were preparing for a fight. They grabbed their luggage and yanked out their weapons.

To calm the passengers, Ruby stood on top of her seat. "Everyone please stay calm. You're going to be alright," she gazed at her team, determination swirling. "Keep your seatbelts on. We're going to handle this."

Seeing what looked like a normal girl give them instructions caused the passengers to chatter in suspicion.

Another shake. Another round of screams.

"Come on!" Ruby exclaimed.

Since this was a dire situation, the passengers decided to obey. The four adorned weapons, which meant they had to be huntresses. The sight was comforting during this dangerous time. They were armed and ready.

Thanks to training, the team knew exactly what to do during times like this. They knew where to go- the back of the airship.

There was a secret door embedded in the floor they hopped down. The four poised their weapons in the total darkness. To prepare them, Weiss thrust her rapier into the floor. Four glyphs spun under their feet to keep them locked in place.

Ruby yelled up at the pilot. "Open it!"

"You sure?!" the shaken pilot asked.

"Yes!"

Now that the glyphs were in place, the team was as safe as they could be. In seconds, the entire backside of the ship lifted like the trunk of a car. The wind was violent and would've knocked them off-balance if the glyphs weren't placed.

As expected, lancers were chasing the airship like prey.

In unison, the team fired off several dust bullets. Since most of these lancers had delicate bodies, fire bullets did the trick. The grimm careened to the side with screeches.

"Fifteen points!" the blonde cheered.

Swiftly, Blake shot down a lancer to the left. "Don't take my KBs this time!"

"No promises!"

Suddenly, a few projectiles were hurled at them. Since the priority was the wellbeing of the airship, Blake conjured a clone to deflect it elsewhere. The clone took the hit and disappeared as soon as it was summoned.

Easily, Ruby was able to knock off a few grimm with her sniper rifle. The eyes were always effective.

Weiss was too busy concentrating- holding- them in place to do much.

Just when the team thought they killed all of them, a large black mass appeared.

A daunting screech.

"Queen lancer!" Ruby announced.

From its abdomen, the queen fired several projectiles. It was so quick that one spike managed to hit the airship. The four wobbled but ultimately held their balance thanks to the glyphs.

Several more projectiles spewed out. When Blake pulled out her katana, Weiss sensed what she intended to do and dismissed the glyph below her.

Swiftly, Blake conjured two clones and acted as a defensive barrier. The three swords barely managed to slice the spikes in half just before they could slaughter the airship. It was an effective defense, but she couldn't do this forever.

Noticing that Blake was starting to struggle, Ruby yelled. "Use fire!"

In unison, Ruby, Blake, and Yang shot off fire dust bullets. Several exploded upon impact, only for it to have no effect. The queen's shriek itself shook the airship as the wings buzzed violently.

"What the-" Blake was stunned when nothing happened.

"Yang!" Weiss shouted, which caused her to perk up. "Keep me in place!"

"Okay!"

"Everyone grab onto something!" Weiss instructed.

Trusting her partner had something planned, Ruby held onto a nearby crate. Blake stood beside her, keeping a firm grip on her leader. To keep her still, Yang held onto Weiss.

It was much easier to not have to concentrate on the glyphs. Rapidly, Weiss stabbed the ground. In front of them, a large, dazzling glyph spun relentlessly. Gradually, a sparkling, ghostly hand rose and latched onto the edge of the sigil, pulling itself up.

The armor stood over eight feet tall and wielded a sharp blade. The moment it was summoned, spikes were hurled its way, only to be sliced to pieces with the sword.

From the sight, her teammates gawked. Seeing the display never got old.

The armor jumped off the airship, which caused it to wobble a bit. While Weiss controlled the summoning, her eyes were closed as she trusted Yang. She was the armor as it flew at the queen.

Like a predator, the armor nailed the grimm in its abdomen. It had to stop the projectiles or the airship would be in trouble. As expected, the stinger stabbed the glowing white leg.

Like it wasn't affected, the armor snapped the stinger in half. That earned a satisfying shriek from the queen. Before it could retaliate, the summoning kicked away, letting the grimm fly backward.

Before it could retaliate, the armor threw its sword like a javelin directly into the black torso. It impaled the beast, and ultimately forced it to fall out of the sky like its fallen brethren.

Suddenly, Weiss opened her eyes as the armor dissipated in midair.

"It's gone."

Happily, Yang said. "I think that deserves twenty points. Wouldn't you agree, Blakey?"

"You win this round, Schnee."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	13. Trail of Venom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I leave for Austin for RTX 2019 today! Hmu if you want to meet!

After the fight against the swarm of lancers, it was a peaceful journey for the rest of the ride on the airship. The crew gave team RWBY their thanks and a few passengers gave them high-fives for keeping them safe.

After that good work out, they napped for a couple more hours.

For a few hours now, they'd been trekking in the winter wonderland. The village shouldn't be far by this point. Which was relieving, considering they were practically frozen.

Since the snow was all around, it was hard to keep warm. Yang had no trouble insulating heat thanks to her semblance, but her teammates struggled in these frozen temperatures. Particularly the ice queen.

"Here," the blonde set a hand on her back and shared her warm aura. The stream pooled with warmth, causing Weiss to sigh with comfort. "Aren't you from Atlas? Why do you get so cold so easily? Shouldn't you be used to it?"

As Weiss' body absorbed some much-needed heat, she shivered and hugged herself. "Just because I'm from Atlas doesn't mean I'm equipped for this."

"She's a zombie!" Ruby chirped and grabbed onto her arm.

Weiss gave her an unamused look.

"Okay," Ruby relented. "She told me she has some syndrome, but I forgot the name so we're calling it zombie-ism."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Ruby…"

Blake's cat ears flicked in thought. She knew exactly what her friends were talking about. "It's Raynaud's syndrome, isn't it?"

"You've heard of it?" Weiss asked, skeptical.

Normally, people haven't heard of it unless they're affected by it.

Blake nodded. "Some of my friends in Menagerie have it."

"Well, what is it?" Yang asked, still having no clue.

"Poor circulation is all," Weiss informed as she made a fist with her hands several times to promote the circulation. "The blood flow to my hands and feet is restricted or interrupted in times of stress or in the cold. It's really no big deal, I just get colder faster."

"Huh," Yang breathed.

She'd never really had an issue being cold. She couldn't imagine what it'd be like to constantly be cold. Honestly, she'd rather rip off layers of clothes than put more on.

"You say that," Ruby said, recalling a memory. "But remember when I saw your hands and they were blackish blue!? That freaked me out!"

Weiss almost scoffed from the incident. It took her several minutes to explain the condition to her girlfriend. Thankfully, Ruby understood. Otherwise, Ruby would have literally dragged her to the emergency room.

"The lack of blood flow can change your skin color," Weiss said solemnly and pulled her closer. "That must've scared you."

"No duh!" Ruby chirped.

"Huh…" Yang mumbled, trying to imagine black as her teammate's skin. It wasn't hard to do, considering Weiss' arm warped black from the poison a couple of months ago. "Take some of this heat, then."

More determined than ever, the blonde placed both of her hands on her back. A soothing wave of warmth washed over her. For a moment, Weiss felt warm in this cold. If only it could stay this way.

After a few seconds, Weiss pulled away from her, much to Yang's surprise.

"Yang, save your aura," Weiss stated. "We're going to need you."

"You think so?" the blonde asked. "We haven't seen that many grimm so far."

Of course, there was the occasional grimm. A few creeps popped up here and there, but those weren't even that strong. No beowolf packs had appeared. From what Blake could tell, there were no grimm for miles. The sky was vast and gray. Not tainted by darkness.

"True," Ruby admitted. "Stay alert anyways. That ursa almost got us last time."

Weiss rolled her eyes from the memory. How could such a huge grimm sneak up on her? And make no noise? Impressive.

Suddenly, Blake caught in the distance. "Hey, look."

The team squinted their eyes. It wasn't hard to see what the faunus was gawking at. There was darkness deep in the snow. Like a gaping hole in the ground. They picked up the pace, coming to a halt just before the stain.

"This has to be where Weiss collapsed," the faunus gathered, recalling the vivid images. "I remember how big the black puddle was. It has to be this."

The sight made them inspect the tainted snow.

"Obviously, no touchies," the leader said. "Blake, you got the thing?"

Silently, Blake pulled out tweezers and a plastic bag.

"Please be careful," Weiss advised, recalling the agony she suffered because of this mysterious venom. It would be horrible if her teammate experienced the same thing.

"Don't let it touch you at all, okay?"

The faunus sent her a nod. "My middle name is careful."

Slowly, Blake carefully bent down to collect a decent sample size and promptly closed the bag before putting it in her backpack.

Ruby held her hands out. "Safe."

"This is kinda weird," Yang in exasperation. "It hasn't been touched at all? We've been gone for weeks."

"That is weird," Ruby agreed, eyeing the puddle of ink. "After the village was destroyed I bet no one wants to come back. And we're in the middle of nowhere."

"Ah, good point," the blonde replied, staring into the distance. To her surprise, there was a thin trail of blackness that slithered for what looked like a couple of miles. "Hey, there's a trail."

"It should lead us to the village," Ruby said, thinking that was the path Weiss had left behind when she was cut. "Onward!"

It only took a few minutes to arrive at the destroyed village. Like before, it was in pieces and tatters. Last time, the smoke was their guide, so it was a little harder to pinpoint. The black trail vanished about halfway there.

Ruby smacked her hands together. "Okay, time to look for clues."

"Like what?" Blake asked, having no idea.

"Anything really," Ruby said, trusting that Blake in particular, could sense when something was suspicious. "Don't dismiss the littlest thing."

"Alright then."

The team spread out in the wreckage. No one knew what exactly they were looking for. It was as Ruby said. Anything. Anything to find out what exactly Black Attraction is. Maybe what kind of clues some grimm left behind. Even finding out why the village was attacked in the first place could be a hint.

The team searched high and low for a couple of hours. By now, the sun was starting to lower over the horizon. The light was fading. It would only get colder at this rate.

In frustration, Ruby heaved a piece of debris. Nothing. As usual. Her muscles were straining to lift another large chunk of wood. Weiss searched inside a few of the rundown buildings. Aside from some leftover food, she found nothing. Yang did most of the heavy lifting to find something. Nothing.

Any building left standing, Blake had already climbed. Her tactic was to search high above while her teammates looked below. She glanced at the horizon. They had to call it a day soon. Based on Ruby's frustrated grunts, the faunus could tell that's exactly what she was thinking as well.

After a sigh, Blake narrowed her eyes. She stood on the tallest building as her shadow silhouetted in the dim light. With her night vision, she was able to see more easily than her teammates.

A spike in her adrenaline.

There was a huge puddle of blackness not even a mile from her spot. It was in the opposite direction from where they came.

Blake cupped her hands over her mouth. "I found something!"

That perked Ruby up as she gazed up at her. "Where?!"

The faunus pointed in the direction where she was headed. With the hand as their guide, the team sprinted after her. Blake leaped off the building and darted into the distance, her legs feeling like lead. Like the mile was nothing, the team arrived at the scene in no time despite their fatigue.

"Woah," Yang breathed, taking note that this venom was spread wide.

"This certainly is a lot," Weiss observed.

It was like a crime scene. The ink splattered all around in the blanket of snow. Almost like it was blood. They were careful not to touch it, only with their thick, heavy boots.

From the sight, Ruby was dumbfounded. "You- you didn't bleed that much venom, did you?"

"No," Weiss said sternly. "We weren't over here, were we?"

"No," Blake confirmed.

Ruby just stared, utterly confused.

Yang held her chin in thought. "Maybe it was dripping from the grimm? Is it the remains of a grimm?"

"It would've dissipated by now," the faunus said, unsettled.

Completely puzzled, Yang said. "This is so weird."

"Let's follow it for now," Ruby suggested, noting the black patches spread out.

Maybe if they followed it, they'd find something. The leader was about to move forward, but a hand on her cape stopped her. Ruby whirled around to find out that it was Blake.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked.

Blake gazed up into the night sky. "There's smoke."

"Where?" Ruby asked, interest piqued.

Since it was darker outside, it was harder to see the sky. To Ruby, Weiss, and Yang, there was only darkness. To Blake, puffs of smoke loomed overhead.

"Straight ahead," the faunus stated. "But it looks a ways away."

"Say no more," Weiss said.

Sensing that was her cue, Weiss formed four glyphs beneath all of them with a flick of her wrist. The glyphs dazzled in the night. In one strong burst, the team leaped forward and left a cloud of tainted powder behind.

Yang wore the brightest smile as she soared with her arms back. "This never gets old."

"Woo!" Ruby said as she barrelled into a red blur.

Combined with the propulsion glyph and her own semblance, Ruby was flying faster than the speed of light. She was effectively in the lead and well ahead of her team.

"She always does this," Weiss playfully rolled her eyes.

With renewed force, the three caught up to their leader thanks to the glyphs. The wind was violent and slapped any exposed skin, turning it red. The girls couldn't feel their faces or lips.

When a large building was in sight, Weiss decelerated her team. The four came to a gradual halt just in front of the mysterious sight. It was a dome structure with a large chunk in the side like something massive ate took a bite out of it. The smoke was more prominent than ever and invaded their lungs. Glass was scattered everywhere. Debris ripped the building apart.

It was exactly like the village, but high-tech.

"What… is this?" Yang asked, almost speechless.

To find this in the middle of nowhere was odd, no doubt. It looked like some sort of facility.

The blonde was about to step forward to explore, but a hand on her shoulder prevented her from doing so. Yang glanced over her shoulder, meeting her sister's firm gaze.

"We'll check it out tomorrow," Ruby said, glad they found something. "The sun is almost gone."

At this rate, the team barely had enough time to make it back to the cabin. Many dangers came with the darkness. Including wandering grimm. And they had no idea what was inside. Ruby wasn't about to risk her teammates if it wasn't necessary.

Yang nodded in agreement. "First thing tomorrow."

"Our favorite place..."

Yang mumbled as she walked into the cabin. Her team trailed behind with neutral expressions. It was the same cabin used as last time. Their saving grace of sorts.

"Hardly," was all Weiss said.

Last time, this place was their safe haven. But Weiss was on the verge of death the entire time. So of course, she didn't particularly like this cabin, or this area in general. It didn't exactly bring back fond memories.

In response, Ruby squeezed her hand to silently tell her she wasn't alone.

Like before, the cabin was vacant. Aside from the couch, fireplace, and a small kitchen. It was a humble abode. The family that used to live here must've liked it.

Blake unzipped her backpack. "Who wants ramen? I'm starving."

"Me!" Ruby exclaimed without missing a beat. "Memememe, pick me!"

"Yes, Ruby, coming up," the faunus said. "Do you guys want some?"

"Why not," the blonde replied.

"I suppose," Weiss said.

Together, Ruby and Yang plopped on the couch while Blake prepared the food. The couch creaked under their combined weight. While the sisters relaxed, Weiss set the wood in the fireplace aflame so they could get some much-needed heat.

When that was done, Weiss sat next to her girlfriend. The cushions were so soft. It was so comfortable. The three leaned back, almost drifting off into nothingness.

The only thing that pulled Ruby back to reality was the crackling of flames.

"Ugh," the leader groaned. "Who wants the couch to sleep on?"

"I don't care," Weiss replied, her voice screaming fatigue.

"I'm fine with whatever," Yang said, not opening her eyes.

"You guys are no help," Ruby heavily sighed and leaned forward. "Alright, rock, paper, scissors time. Winner gets the couch!"

Weiss almost scoffed from the suggestion. "You've got to be joking."

From the mention of her childhood game, Yang snapped out of it in seconds. Eagerly, she leaned forward to meet her sister's gaze. Their hands were ready for combat.

To Weiss' surprise, the sisters began playing. In unison, they shouted.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

"Children…" Weiss mumbled.

While the sisters settled the score best two out of three, Weiss sat next to the warm fireplace. She leaned onto the wall, setting her rapier to the side.

"Hey," Ruby called, confused. "Do you want the couch?"

From the memory, Weiss gazed down at the floor. Her voice was just above a whisper. Barely audible. "I had it last time."

Ruby was silent. It almost sounded like Weiss was reliving the pain.

Oh no, Weiss… Ruby thought in concern. Not if I can help it.

To comfort her, Ruby scooted next to her girlfriend on the floor, absorbing the soothing fire in front of them. She held her arm and leaned onto her, savoring her touch.

Weiss gazed down at her, curious. "You don't want the couch?"

"No, it's okay," Ruby replied.

No way am I letting you sleep alone in here, the leader thought. I don't mind the ground, silly. I just want to be by you.

Suddenly, Blake trailed into the kitchen with four cheap, steaming ramen cups in hand. She handed one to her partner, who was sitting on the couch.

"Do you want to sleep on it?" Yang asked her.

"I can sleep anywhere," the faunus said with a shrug, indifferent.

"Great," Yang said sarcastically. "Now I feel like a douche for takin' it."

"Yang, no one cares," Ruby eased.

With that, Blake handed the white rose couple their meal. To not let her feel bad, the faunus sat next to Yang on the couch to enjoy the hot noodles.

"We did good work today, team," Ruby praised after slurping some delectable noodles. "We'll search that sketchy place first thing in the morning!"

In unison, her teammates exclaimed.

"Yeah!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	14. A Lab In Ruins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry for the irregular updates. Things have been hectic. There won't be another update for the next 2 weeks because of my upcoming trip to Africa. See you then!

Thousands of tiny pieces of debris spewed into the snow. Glass was the ground. So many shards stuck up like this place was a death trap. Mysterious green and black patches of goo stained any glass and coated most of the snow.

From the smell, Blake cringed. "This is disgusting."

The foreign scents invading her nostrils. Her sense of smell was much more heightened than her teammates', so they didn't get a huge whiff of the various chemicals. They tasted the lingering smoke. Their noses weren't keen enough for the compounds.

"It looks gross," Yang said in disgust.

"What on Remnant happened?" Weiss asked, utterly astonished.

"Spread out," Ruby said, intending to find the answer. "We can cover more ground this way. Remember to be careful, don't touch anything sketchy. Especially that black substance. It could be Black Attraction. We don't want a repeat of that."

"Amen," the blonde said.

Outside, the wind howled. The sun was beginning to rise for a new day. The light barely touched the mountains on the horizon. It could be a nature painting.

It was more efficient if the team searched this mysterious facility first thing in the morning. They only had one more whole day- tomorrow- to get back to Beacon before classes started. They had to make progress today.

The white rose couple decided to search the perimeter of the broken dome. The haunting dome was about seven-thousand square feet in total, so they had a bunch of ground to cover and no time to waste.

For Ruby, it was hard not to touch everything she saw. She was naturally curious like her sister. She wanted to properly examine the mysterious green splotches in the snow. It looked gooey like slime. Instead, she refrained herself, telling it could be a dangerous substance, instead searched the random debris.

A few feet away, Weiss found several large footprints that clearly belonged to beasts. From the discovery, she called Ruby over.

"Grimm," Weiss pointed at the prints. "They're goliath footprints."

"Woah…" Ruby knew that kind of grimm could be that big, but seeing a footprint this close unsettled her. It was larger than a full-grown ursa. "You don't think it could be something else?"

Weiss knelt to get a better view. "No, this is definitely a goliath footprint."

"There have to be others."

"No doubt."

"Good job, my smart girlfriend," the leader praised, which elicited a blush. "Grimm probably caused this mess."

The facility was totally annihilated. It wasn't the work of one person or beast. Rather, several.

Weiss nodded in agreement. "I bet they were inside the facility and escaped."

Silver orbs widened when Ruby reached a daunting conclusion. "And then… the village…"

"Yeah…" Weiss breathed, saddened by the thought.

After the grimm escaped, they must've destroyed the nearest village. After being cooped up inside, they must've been hungry for blood.

"The poisonous griffon could've come from here," Ruby deduced.

"Possibly," Weiss admitted. "Maybe it was some sort of experiment?"

"Maybe," the leader reluctantly replied. "But who would want to experiment on grimm?"

"A scientist," Weiss said knowingly. "There are quite a few who do. However, I'm wondering what kind of experiments the grimm were subjected to and what the results were."

A calm breeze whizzed by.

"Maybe Black Attraction was just one of the results," the leader concluded, which earned a skeptical expression. "There could have been so many more."

For once, things were starting to make sense. "You're probably right."

Ruby hoped there were answers to all these questions. Answers her team would uncover. She turned around to stare at the dome. "Let's hope no grimm are in the building."

If something was in the building, Weiss bet they would've heard their teammates by now.

"They're fine."

The black and yellow partners ventured inside slowly. Gauntlets and katana were poised as they tiptoed onto the dark marble floor. Broken lights hung from the ceiling and dangled uselessly. A few sparks flew, any electricity struggling to surge.

Overall, the facility was dark but was illuminated by a strange green liquid inside dozens of glass huge cylinder containers. A few of these containers were broken, but some were spared in the wreckage.

"This is creepy," the blonde observed.

Blake had seen many creepy things in her life. This building was definitely one of them. None of the White Fang hideouts even compared to this place. The smell of chemicals is what haunted her the most.

"Yeah," Blake agreed with no doubt. "Want to take the left side while I take the right?"

"Sure."

With that, the partners separated. Yang was extra cautious since it was harder to see in this darkness. Her hands were up defensively like she was waiting for a jump scare. The only light that aided her was the mysterious green glow in those containers. They were lined up neatly and practically untouched.

If only it wasn't so dark, Yang thought. I bet Blakey's having no trouble seeing at all.

With that reassurance in mind, Yang continued her meticulous search and disappeared into the darkness.

Like a ninja, Blake scaled a container. To her surprise, the tops were exposed. The containers almost overflowed with green slime. She quickly let go and dropped to the floor. If she accidentally tipped that over- she didn't want to think about it.

"Find anything?" Blake asked the room.

Part of her wasn't expecting a reply since this place was so big. Luckily, the blonde heard her and called back.

"Nope! Don't jump on the containers, kitten. You almost gave me a heart attack."

The faunus resisted the urge to chuckle. "Right," she said in amusement.

With time, Blake and Yang gained more distance apart. Now that the sun was high in the sky, beams of light trickled into the dome. The part that had a large chunk provided some much-needed sunlight.

On the far wall, Yang noticed something. A doorknob. She would've missed that for sure if the sun didn't rise. The door looked like it was meant to blend with the wall and not able to be open. With urgency, she twisted the knob.

It's not locked?

That was unexpected, but she wasn't going to complain. Either way, she was going to get inside. The door creaked as she sauntered in.

It was untouched. Like someone had been cleaning and maintaining it for a while now. The green carpet was clear. The desk with glass on top was spotless. The novels on the bookshelf were stacked neatly next to each other.

What the…

Intrigued, Yang began her search. She started with the books. To her dismay, they were all about the anatomy of grimm. That screamed boredom and tediousness. After glancing through a few, she put them back in its rightful place.

Tired of reading, she approached the desk. Nothing was on it. There was an outlet close by. Someone probably had a computer hooked up before abandoning this place.

This keeps getting more bizarre, the blonde thought. Did someone take their computer and leave when it got attacked?

Determined to find answers, Yang opened the top drawer. Nothing. Only whiteness inside. The second was the same result. When she searched the third, she felt a tiny piece of paper in the very back.

With a thin gasp, Yang grabbed and unfolded it.

It's a list of names, the blonde observed. None of these are familiar…

Until her eyes landed on one name. The last one.

James Ironwood.

Huh. Why's he on this list? Is this a list of important people? But if they're so important why don't I know more of them?

Knowing this was a good clue, Yang slipped the paper into her pocket.

***

In total, the team searched the facility for six hours.

By the time they got back to the cabin, they were exhausted.

All four of them sat on the couch and ate their T.V. dinners. It wasn't the best meal, but it'd have to do. The meal was heated and warmed their cold, aching bodies.

To spoil her team, Yang had brought hot chocolate packets. Her partner said that was a waste of luggage space, but Yang begged to differ. She knew how cold they got and wanted them to be as comfortable as possible.

Soothingly, Ruby sipped on her hot chocolate. The mug was steaming. Her reaction made Yang think it was so worth it to bring it.

"So good…"

It looked like the leader was melting into the cushions.

"Glad to hear it, sis," the blonde grinned.

Weiss smiled from the sight. Her dolt was too cute sometimes. "That's all the sugar you get tonight."

"Okay, mom," Ruby replied with a smile.

Quirking a smile of her own, Weiss sipped on her own hot chocolate.

Blake leaned up after she chewed on some steaming green beans. "Let's recap."

"Good idea!" Ruby beamed.

The faunus simply drank her hot chocolate as she contemplated the day's events. "More than likely, grimm broke out of the building- or laboratory."

"Yeah," Ruby nodded. "Whoever was there was experimenting on grimm. At least, we're pretty sure that's the case."

Blake cringed from the mere thought of the smell. "The chemicals were overwhelming."

Yang pulled out the paper from her pocket. "What do we know about Ironwood?"

The three scratched their heads. Out of all people, Ironwood was on this list of seemingly random names. That was unexpected, to say the least.

When no one spoke, Weiss heavily sighed. Like she didn't want to chime in.

"My father is his main supplier."

"Ah, yeah!" Yang exclaimed from the epiphany. "You used to work under your dad, so I bet you know tons of stuff about the business."

"She is the heiress," Blake pointed out.

"Ex-heiress, actually," Weiss replied.

Yang leaned back as she wrote the name down on her phone. "Okie dokie. Douchebag Schnee."

Weiss simply rolled her eyes. Yang wasn't wrong.

After Ruby swallowed a few french fries, she spoke. "Ironwood is also on the council. He has two seats."

"True," the blonde replied, also writing that down. "But what about these other names? You guys sure you haven't heard of any of 'em?"

As the three ate their mashed potatoes, they examined the paper one more time.

Nothing.

"It's okay," Blake reassured them, knowing mysteries took time to solve. "We can look them up when we get back."

"Exactly," Ruby said.

Now full, Yang leaned back on the couch. "Ya know what? I think we did good."

"I think we did well, you oaf," Weiss corrected and sighed. "My father is a possible lead."

"Cheer up, Weissy!" Ruby encouraged as she hugged her arm. "He might not have anything to do with this, but he's pretty much all we have at the moment."

Fondly, Weiss hugged her.

"Yeah."

If Father really is part of this, he's continuing to bring shame to our family name…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shadow Nightblade did the thought bubble. Yay! He can do things!
> 
> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	15. A Possible Lead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back from Africa at last! Over 20 hours of traveling!

"I'm tellin' you, you're spewing loads of crap!"

"Oh yeah?!" Nora challenged as she slammed her fist on the table. "Bring it on!"

"Guys, please. Now's not the time-"

Weiss was cut off by a loud thud. Two opposing elbows slammed on the dented table. Since this was the school's library, Weiss thought her friends would obey the rules and be quiet. She couldn't be more wrong.

Several bookshelves isolated the group from the rest of the library, but that did little to mask the noise. Most students who were studying had left because of the ruckus.

Jaune pumped his fist in the air. "You can do it, Nora!"

"You can beat her, Nora!" Ren cheered.

Pyrrha smiled at the intense matchup. "I have faith in you!"

Fiercely, Yang and Nora were locked in a standstill. Their hands were interlocked, each trying to best the other. Both clearly straining to overpower the other. Their primed muscles rippled under the dim library lights.

It was true Yang lost their previous match, but she would win this time, dammit! She wasn't going to let her friends down… or her ego.

"Come on, sis!" Ruby cheered. "You can't lose to a girl in a skirt!"

"You wear a skirt, Ruby," Weiss commented, unamused.

Eagerly, Ruby placed her hands on both of the shorter girl's shoulders and shook her. "Weiss you're not cheering loud enough!"

Weiss said nothing as she adorned a scowl and crossed her arms. She wondered how long it would take for them to be kicked out. Meanwhile, Blake gave up on reading her book. She couldn't concentrate when all her friends were yelling.

The opponents pried into each other's souls. Bright blue eyes tore into lilac.

"Your strength has improved!" Nora observed. "I'll give ya that!"

"Yep, but it's better now," Yang said knowingly in between subtle breaths.

Taking that as a challenge, Nora narrowed her eyes. "Oh yeah?!"

Due to the recent intense workouts from fighting grimm and hunting for clues in the wilderness, Yang was ready. The last break from school wasn't a break at all. She and her team spent the entire time training and staying in shape, while Nora probably ate pancakes the entire time.

To feign weakness, the blonde allowed Nora to take advantage and slowly bring her hand down, but not enough to touch the table.

After a deep inhale, Yang went for it.

She gave it all she had in one arm. All the power in her muscles gathered for one final move. Yang felt her body straining and almost shaking. This was it.

Faster than lightning, she slammed Nora's hand into the table. The impact was so violent that it almost cracked the table in half. Nora's jaw dropped as she stared at the aftermath in utter bewilderment and defeat.

"H-how'd you do that?!" Nora yelped.

Yang smirked as she crossed her arms in triumph. "Pure cunning and skill."

That response caused Weiss to roll her eyes. Her blonde teammate was so full of it. Blake had to suppress a chuckle while Ruby's eyes practically twinkled from the results.

"What's your workout regimen?" Nora asked. "I must know."

Yang sassily flipped her hair in victory. "It'd be too intense for you."

"That's not true and you know it!" Nora exclaimed.

With confidence, Yang stood from her seat. Eagerly, Ruby grabbed her hand and raised it in the air.

"Ladies and gents, the new arm wrestling champ!"

"Thank you, thank you," Yang mocked a bow. "Couldn't have done it without you, Nora."

That earned a few giggles and an unamused frown.

"I wanna rematch!" Nora demanded and slammed her hands on the broken table.

"Sh!"

The hush came from an angry librarian, who glared at the group of friends in disgust.

Jaune flinched from the harshness of her tone. "Sorry, ma'am. We'll stop."

"No, you'll leave," the older woman demanded. "What makes you think it's okay to do this in a library? Do you know how many people have complained? How rude it is?"

"Uhhh…" was all Jaune could mutter.

"Get out," the librarian pointed to the exit as she tapped her foot.

While the group scurried out the door, Weiss tried to save face and apologized. "We're sorry, ma'am. It won't happen again."

Yang stood next to her, perking an amused brow. "It was hardly your fault-"

Unable to finish her sentence, Weiss grabbed her arm and literally dragged her out the door. In their wake was a fuming librarian, relieved to see the rowdy group gone into the halls.

"Yeesh, what was her problem?" Nora asked, genuinely confused.

"What was her problem?!" Weiss blurted. "What do you think?! You could've woken a deaf person with all your shouting!"

Not at all deterred by her scolding, Nora smirked. "Now that would be impressive."

To compose herself, Weiss took a deep breath. Ruby noticed her trying to keep her calm and held her hand to ease her nerves. That seemed to do the trick when Weiss chose not to reply. Arguing with Nora of all people would prove futile.

To diffuse the situation, Pyrrha chimed in. "I've been wanting to ask, how was your break? What did your team do?"

It was hardly a break… their secret investigation was seemingly going nowhere, and it frustrated the team to their witts end.

"We kicked some grimm butt, the usual," Yang casually replied, wanting to keep them out of potential and unnecessary danger. "What about you?"

"We went to Jaune's place in Vargus," Pyrrha replied with a tiny smile like she wanted to say so much more. "His family is very animated."

"Heheh…" Jaune sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "That's one way to put it."

Ren said with mirth. "He didn't tell us he has seven sisters."

From the mention of them, Nora beamed a smile. "They had a ton of fun with Ren and Pyr's hair! They couldn't stop braiding them!"

Ruby imagined what it'd be like to be surrounded by seven little girls and grinned. "I bet they had the time of their lives."

"And apparently, they've never seen hair like Pyrrha's," Ren pointed out. "They were fascinated by it."

"It's like fire," Nora chirped.

"I enjoyed the visit," Pyrrha chimed and glanced at Jaune. "I'm glad you invited us."

"Anytime, Pyr."

Yang grinned from hearing how happy they were. "That sounds awesome."

"It really was," Nora agreed.

Before the teams realized it, they had arrived at their rooms. They exchanged brief goodbyes and headed inside.

"This is impossible!"

To snap her sister out of it, Yang smacked her upside the head. "With that attitude, it is!"

"Ugh!" Ruby groaned in frustration.

Scattered all around their room were countless amounts of books. Several had been thrown to the floor by the sisters. The spines cracked from neglect.

Blake and Weiss had given up hours ago with trying to pick up after them. Every time the sisters were done inspecting a book for clues, they'd carelessly toss them aside.

Their other teammates scolded them before, but that had no effect. Blake and Weiss had given up after a few hours.

Understanding her girlfriend's frustration, Weiss heavily sighed. "Anyone have any luck with the names?"

A few names were listed on the tiny slip of paper they'd found in the broken lab. To share, the team took pictures of it so they each had the mysterious list.

"None," Blake reported, a frown present as she trailed her fingers over her mouse pad.

On her lap was her computer. Tons of books surrounded her that were stacked neatly in piles on her bed. She'd taken a break from the pages and elected for a screen instead.

Yang showed her team what was on her computer screen. "All I can find is information about Ironwood, but everyone knows about him. I don't think it's very helpful…"

Ruby scratched the back of her head in thought. "It's almost like all these people are dead or something."

From her experience, establishing an online presence wasn't difficult. Even a post from some random site would result in something. Yet, there was practically nothing about these listed people. Either they really are dead, or trying to be seen as such.

"Maybe they are deceased," Weiss agreed. "In all likelihood, we could be wasting our time with these names when we could be researching Ironwood."

"Ugh," Ruby groaned again as she fell back onto the carpet. "This really is impossible."

Tired of looking at Ironwood's face, Blake shut her laptop. They'd been researching for a few solid days as a team since they got back to Beacon, and with no luck.

"This is getting us nowhere," the faunus said. "Ironwood is our only clue. What do we do with that?"

There was a small beat of silence before Weiss spoke hesitantly.

"We must go to Atlas."

From the mention of Atlas, her team perked up. None of her teammates had ever been, so this was a welcomed suggestion.

However, Ruby was confused by the prospect. "Why? We have the information here."

"That's what you think," Weiss said knowingly, which earned multiple curious gazes. "I'm a Schnee. I can access any files relating to Schnee Dust. As you said earlier, my Father could be a lead as well. Might as well start there."

Of course, being the ex-heiress meant certain perks. When Weiss was the heiress, she received special permissions and accesses to certain technologies. Even though she was the former heiress, those perks hadn't changed simply because of her last name.

Blake's cat ears flickered in wonder. She never thought of the benefits her teammate would have due to her previous title.

"I like that. We should go to Atlas," the faunus agreed. "Looks like we have another trip to make."

"Ah, so much travel," Yang said happily. "Let's hope the airship doesn't get attacked for once."

"This is Atlas technology," Weiss reminded. "Grimm won't even get within five miles of the airship without being shot down."

Suddenly, Ruby tossed the book that'd been in her lap to the side. "This is such a great idea, my beautiful girlfriend!"

The comment caused Weiss to lightly blush.

Ruby faced her entire team. "When do we want to leave?"

"After midterms," Weiss instantly replied.

"But that's in a few weeks!" Ruby blurted.

"Weiss is right," Blake admitted, although she didn't like the idea of waiting for that long. "Atlas can wait. We're at Beacon to learn."

A frustrated groan. Ruby's teammates were totally right. It's not like they were going to skip school for this.

"Okaaaay," the leader relented. "We're so close, I can taste it!"

"Cheer up, sis," Yang comforted. "All you gotta do is fight the biggest, baddest monster first!"

Ruby tilted her head like a curious puppy. "Who?"

"Midterms, duh," the blonde replied with a smirk.

"The worst monster of them all," Ruby said cheekily.

Blake chimed in. "Besides finals."

"You can say that again," the leader said.

When there was silence, Yang glanced around the room. There were so many books. So many books they didn't check out of the library. So many books they smuggled into the room over the weeks.

"We should probably return these soon," Yang reminded.

Collective groans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	16. Thin Ice

"You all stay out here. I'll be only a few minutes."

In front of team RWBY was a towering building with the bolded letters:

CCT

They had finally arrived in Atlas after a smooth airship ride.

"You sure, Weiss?" Ruby asked, worried about her girlfriend since her title as heiress had been stripped. "Going in there can't hold pleasant memories…"

"I'll be fine," Weiss reassured as she met her leader's gaze. "Try not to wander too far."

Confidently, Yang grabbed her sister's red hood to stop her from going anywhere. "Leave her to me."

"Don't treat me like a child!" Ruby whined as she playfully slapped her sister's hand away.

From the display, Blake smiled. Her team appeared to be in high spirits. Probably because midterms went smoothly and they finally had a break from all that studying. Now, they could focus on the investigation at hand.

Ironwood and Jacques.

Those two… whether it was indirectly or not, were connected to that village's downfall. To the mysterious and mutated grimm. To the poison dubbed Black Attraction.

Determined to find answers, Weiss sauntered toward the building. Her team watched her disappear into the sea of people.

Inside, Weiss did her best to maintain her best poker face. The building hadn't changed since she last visited several years ago. The marble floors glistened, there was pristine furniture, the phones rang off the hook, and it was busy as always.

I never thought I'd be back…

The ex-heiress did her best to soothe the jarring sensation in her stomach. She hated this, but she was doing this for her team. She swallowed her pride as multiple pairs of eyes landed on her. They knew exactly who she was. Her anxiety shot through the roof, but she didn't show it. She wanted nothing more than to look at the floor, but she kept her head high.

At last, she made it into the elevator.

Luckily, the elevator ride was by herself. She didn't have to wear the mask and let her lips fall to a frown for the briefest of moments. When the elevator reached the fifteenth floor, she forced a more stoic expression.

Father, if you really are behind this, I will never forgive you.

Somehow, she managed to forgive him for being physically and mentally abusive to her. Despite being that strong, she could never forgive him for the atrocities he committed against the faunus. And never for this. If it was true he played a part. He could mess with her, but when other innocent people were dragged into his web, that was unjustifiable.

Feigning confidence, Weiss strolled down the hallway. On the left, she found the door labeled 'The Communications Room.' When she walked inside, the phones were ringing incessantly.

The lady at the front desk directed her to booth number two. After thanking her, Weiss took a seat as the monitor turned on.

A woman appeared on the screen and recited a script. "Thank you for calling the Atlas- oh!" she exclaimed, taking note of the caller's appearance. "Miss Schnee! Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you over to your father? I think your sister Winter might be here as well."

The last thing I want is Father to be suspicious. I hope he doesn't find out I even called.

"No thank you," Weiss said with a forced smile. "I was actually hoping you could find some files for me," she held up her scroll. "I've compiled a short list."

Confidently, Weiss placed her scroll into the drive attached to the computer.

Curious, the woman perked a brow. "I see. If you don't mind, what may I ask is this for?"

Without hesitation, Weiss answered. "A project."

"Um," the woman bit her lip, uncomfortable with the answer. "There are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am."

"Well, then, I'll be sure to treat them with care," the ex-heiress replied easily.

"Right…" the woman paused. "Very well. The data is being transferred to your scroll now."

"Wonderful!" Weiss used a feigned ecstatic voice. "That will be all, then."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to patch you through to your father before you go?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Weiss said, her face falling a bit.

"Well then, have a nice day."

When the monitor was blank, Weiss let out a heavy sigh.

***

"Agh!" Ruby tugged on her hair in frustration. "I should've gone with her!"

The leader knew her girlfriend felt especially lonely when family affairs were involved. Walking into that tower must've felt like a deep abyss to her.

Blake crossed her arms as she stared at the front doors. "She probably didn't want to draw attention."

"Hm," Yang couldn't help but scoff from the comment. "She's the ex-heiress. I'm pretty sure that's unavoidable. I bet you everyone in Atlas knows her."

Blake hoped that wasn't true. "I didn't notice anyone staring, so that's good."

"Let's hope it stays that way," Ruby said cheerily.

The last thing she needed was unwanted attention and for strangers to ogle her girlfriend. It didn't seem like that was the case so far here in Atlas, but things could be different on the inside.

A glimmer of white finally exited the building after what felt like an eternity. Without warning, Ruby was a blur and left dozens of rose petals in her wake.

A sudden yelp echoed when Ruby wrapped her partner in a tight hug. Yang and Blake only smiled at each other, glad that they seemed to be in high spirits. In no time, they caught up to their remaining team.

"How'd it go?" Blake asked, interested.

Happily, Weiss pulled out her scroll. "What we need is on my scroll. Hopefully."

Curious, Blake inspected the files. "It's another list of names…"

She didn't know whether that was a good or a bad thing.

"It's a list of everyone my father has done business with," the ex-heiress informed. "I know his main partners, but not the extensive list. Something tells me the culprit is on this list rather than that slip of paper."

Yang nodded in agreement. "We should definitely compare the two later. Maybe this list has the same names on it."

"Maybe," Weiss said. "I hope this is useful. Otherwise, we came here for nothing."

Ruby offered them a cheery grin. "The scientist is on there somewhere, but first…"

Quickly, she wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's own. Ruby swiftly pecked her on the cheek, which left her to blush.

Yang smiled from the affection. "What do you guys wanna do while we're here? It isn't often that we get to be in Atlas!"

As if Weiss was waiting for someone to ask that, she said. "Follow me."

The three glanced among each other, wondering what she had in mind. Quickly, Weiss turned on her heel, leaving her team behind.

"W-wait up, Weissy!"

Soon enough, the team arrived. Various giggles filled the air. A stark contrast to what it was like compared to the rest of Atlas. Since they arrived, Atlas was scoured with high-tech technology and otherworldly-robots. It was a nice change to see something so… normal.

An outdoor ice rink.

"Thisissocool!" Ruby exclaimed giddily. "Idon'tknowhowtoiceskatebutit'sanewexperienceIcan'twait!"

Yang chuckled from her sister's reaction. "I think she's excited."

Weiss genuinely smiled for the first time today. "Can you all ice skate?"

"I'm okay at it," the blonde said. "Nothin' amazing."

Blake shrugged. "Good enough to not fall on my butt."

"That's what I was hoping for," the ex-heiress said. "Growing up, whenever I needed a break, I'd come here. It's been quite some time…"

"What're we waiting for?" Ruby grabbed her arm, glad to visit part of her childhood.

Easily, the team retrieved their ice skates. They stood on the ground just before hopping on the ice. Weiss noticed Ruby seemed somewhat troubled, so she grasped her arm in assurance.

"I got you, dolt."

"Ahh," Ruby said teasingly. "My savior.'"

Before they stepped on the ice with their skates, Yang looked over her shoulder and noticed Blake looked concerned.

"What's the matter, Blakey?" Yang teased. "Afraid you won't be able to land on your feet?"

"Oh shut it," Blake replied in amusement. "You should know by now that I always land on my feet."

Yang simply smiled, thinking that was probably due to her cat faunus traits.

There was a crunch of mini spikes against ice, something the white rose pair found pleasant. The crunch echoed along with the murmurs of various voices around them. The ice rink wasn't too crowded with people, but there was a decent amount of citizens as they glided and spun around the rink.

Not surprisingly, Weiss easily found her footing and glided across the sheet of ice. It was clear she was an expert at this, but she stayed behind to keep a firm grip on her doting girlfriend.

"Wow, Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed, keeping a grip on her to stay balanced. "You're amazing, I should've known you're a good ice skater!"

Weiss let out an amused chuckle. "Only because it was part of my childhood. I heard Patch is a bit on the warmer side?"

"It is," Ruby confirmed. "We don't even get much snow, much less an ice rink."

"I'm glad I could help you experience this," the ex-heiress said happily.

Ruby grinned, happy the two were in perfect unison as they skated side-by-side.

"I wouldn't want to share it with anyone else- woah!"

The leader almost fell, but Weiss tightened her grip, which kept her stable and elicited a blush from both of them.

"Stay close to me," Weiss said as she pulled her close, a red tint on her cheeks. "You don't want to fall, do you?"

Ruby playfully rolled her eyes as she wrapped an arm around Weiss' waist. "Yeah, I'll stay close to avoid falling. Not because I love being close to you or anything," she said sarcastically.

That earned a light giggle.

Weiss gazed at her with a deep blush. Can she get any more adorable?

Yang and Blake watched the two giggle from a distance. They were a little behind, skating at their own pace side-by-side.

Blake kept a grip around Yang's arm and vice-versa. Neither girl was well-versed in ice skating, so they held each other up.

"Yang?"

The call of her name snapped her out of her thoughts. "Yeah?"

"Have you ever been ice skating?" Blake asked, still getting used to the slippery surface.

"Only a couple of times" the blonde replied, a puff of air coming from her mouth due to the cold. "You're pretty good at this."

Blake finally stood tall, rather than slumping forward. "You're not so bad either."

Yang smiled and then looked ahead, where she saw Weiss tug on Ruby's red hood, which earned a loving grin.

"They're so cute together…" Yang couldn't help but mumble.

Blake easily caught the comment with her enhanced hearing. "Remember when you almost punched Weiss' lights out?"

"Ha!" Yang hummed. "Who could forget that? I didn't know they were a couple back then and found them in Ruby's bed!"

Happily, Blake squeezed her hand. "You're such a protective type."

"My Rubes has been defiled," Yang said dramatically, which caused her partner to chuckle. "Buuuut I guess it's fine as long as she's with Weiss."

If Ruby was going to be with anyone, Yang was glad it was her icy teammate.

Fondly, Blake grinned as she felt the frigid air sting her cheeks. "You almost gave us a heart attack."

Yang gave her a look of disbelief. "They almost gave me a heart attack! I was on… thin ice."

A groan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	17. Below the Water

"This place is so eerie when it's empty," Yang said as she casually bit her sandwich.

All around, there were hundreds of stiff chairs and wooden tables. The room was spacious and contained dozens of lights. A door was in the corner of the room, which led to the kitchen.

Ruby unintentionally shuddered. "It gives me the creeps. It's like if we walked around the school at night."

Blake playfully rolled her eyes, thinking her friends got weirded out too easily. "It's not that creepy."

A mysterious shudder echoed in the distance. This caught the team's attention.

"Awah!" Ruby yelped as she clung to her girlfriend, her mouth full of grapes. After she hastily swallowed, she shouted. "What the heck was that?!"

Weiss sighed at her girlfriend, accepting her fate of being almost squeezed to death. "What happened to your title of 'fearless leader?'"

"I am fearless," Ruby declared and released her girlfriend. After Weiss took a deep breath, the leader slammed her fists on the table. "Unless there's creepy stuff…"

"Then what's the point?!" Weiss yelped.

"You can be fearless in other areas," Ruby said.

"Like what?" Weiss asked, not amused.

While the two squabbled, Yang glanced to Blake to see what she was thinking. The faunus had already gone back to eating her tuna without a care in the world. It was clear she wasn't interested in the conversation whatsoever.

Not caring that much as well, Yang munched on a forkful of salad.

During winter break, the majority of Beacon students returned home. Of course, there was the occasional random student in the halls of Beacon, but overall, it was mostly empty.

Meanwhile, team RWBY elected to stay. Ruby and Yang's father was on a mission with Zwei for an undetermined amount of time. Weiss had no desire to go back to Atlas after visiting, and Blake's parents were busy with the reformed White Fang.

During the course of the white rose couple's conversation, they had come to an agreement and went back to being civil. Until Ruby adorned a wry smirk.

"Check this out," Ruby said as she wiped the remains of the food off her tray.

Weiss perked an amused brow. "This again?"

In determination, Ruby stood on the bench as her teammates watched her antics. The leader tucked the tray under her arm and began to sprint across the long, narrow tables.

"Rubes, we know you can tray surf!" Yang shouted after her. "The food fight proved that!"

Wanting to do it for fun, Ruby continued running without breaking stride. "Hya!"

Like an expert, the leader threw the tray in front of her. She hopped on with precision and glided across the tables without so much as wobbling. It was like she was surfing on top of smooth water.

Blake quirked a smile. "Show off."

Since no one else was in the cafeteria besides her team, Ruby knew her girlfriend wouldn't scold her for acting recklessly. If the cafeteria was full and she did this- oh, she wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Woo!"

At last, Ruby made it to the end of the vast table. Like an acrobat, she flipped off the edge and simultaneously tucked the tray under her arm, firmly landing on her feet.

"She sticks the landing!" Ruby flew her hands up in the air for emphasis.

Yang cupped her hands over her mouth since her sister was all the way down the other side of the vast room. "Nine outta ten, Rubes!"

Blake simply shrugged. "I'll give it a ten out of ten for the solid landing."

When Weiss said nothing, her teammates gazed at her with anticipation, wondering what her score was. In response, Weiss crossed her arms and scowled. To hear her properly, Ruby bolted up to her girlfriend with her semblance. She was in front of her in seconds.

"I will not encourage your antics," Weiss said softly.

From that, Ruby seemed downcast when she slumped a little. "Aw…"

"However," Weiss paused, then a small smile formed. "I will rate it one-thousand out of ten since you're so cute."

Ruby felt like she'd been struck by cupid's arrow from the comment. The leader barely suppressed a squeal of happiness. With glee, she wrapped her girlfriend in a hug.

"I knew you weren't heartless!"

"Hey!"

Yang grinned after she giggled a bit. "That score is too low if we're rating it on cuteness levels. My Rubes is easily a million out of ten," she nodded to herself in reassurance. "Just behind Zwei that's at a million and one."

From the mention of Zwei, Blake almost cringed. "That dog is easily in the negatives."

Yang dramatically gasped like she'd been shot. "Blakey! You wound him!"

"You take that back!" Ruby cried.

Defiantly, Blake looked away and munched on a potato chip. "Make me."

Lilac eyes narrowed as Yang leaned in. "You leave me no choice."

That left Blake to wonder what she planned to do. When it was too late, she noticed her partner's scheme. Yang had swiped the last half of her fish sandwich. Without realizing, Blake gasped and reached out for it, but the blonde already had it out of her grasp.

"Take it back," the blonde smirked.

"Never!"

A new, unexpected voice chimed in the conversation. It was so sudden that it caused them to flinch and turn around.

"Normally, I'd tell you to behave yourselves, but that'd be pointless, wouldn't it?"

None other than Glynda Goodwitch appeared with a poker face. This was odd considering they haven't seen any professors wandering so far.

"Hi, Glyn!" Yang greeted her favorite professor cheerfully. "You didn't go home?"

"No," Glynda adjusted her spectacles. "Ozpin requires my constant attention. The man can't go five minutes without my supervision. The last time I took a break, he broke a pipeline while trying to fix it."

Several lighthearted giggles. Somehow, the team wasn't surprised by the revelation.

Ruby put the pieces together. "Is that why the water fountains didn't work for a week that one time?"

"You didn't hear that from me," Goodwitch sent her a wink.

Blake smirked as she glanced to her partner. "Sounds like a certain someone I know."

Jokingly, Yang crossed her arms. "I'm not that bad."

Goodwitch sassily placed her hands on her hips. "I'm not cleaning anything up. I'm on break too, you know."

"Don't you worry," Ruby said happily. "When we leave, it'll be spotless!"

The blonde dismissively waved her hand. "We get it, we'll clean up."

"You should anyways," Weiss said.

Glynda heavily sighed, addressing her white-haired student's comment. "Tell that to the rest of the school."

Weiss knew it'd be in vain to try to get every single student to clean up their messes. "Certain students are such barbarians."

Glynda knew exactly who she was referring to. *cough cough* Cardin and his team *cough.*

"Luckily those are a select few," Goodwitch agreed, not liking the idea of being a janitor when she was a professor. "I must be going now. Don't cause trouble. Like surfing on the tables."

"Eheheh," Ruby dryly laughed as she rubbed the back of her head. "It was worth it."

After lightly smiling, the professor turned on her heel to leave the cafeteria. When she was almost out of sight, Yang cupped her hands over her mouth.

"Tell us if ya get bored!"

In return, all Glynda did was dismissively wave her hand.

***

"My brain hurts," Ruby grumbled as she tossed another book to the side. "No luck."

After Weiss turned a page in the book, she sighed and used a bland tone like she was a zombie. "Me neither."

For a good portion of their break, the team did research. They split the names on the files Weiss had retrieved from Atlas to research. This way, it would be a faster process to find the next suspect. It had taken a couple of weeks, but they were finally close to the end of the list that contained hundreds of names.

Either they were getting closer to find the main suspect, or their only lead was a dead-end. Since they were near the end of the list, they crossed their fingers.

All around, books were scattered on the floor. Mountains of novels. There were several on their beds that were flipped open and abandoned. The entire room smelled like an old library.

Ruby and Yang were sprawled out on the floor. So far, Ruby had read at least three dozen books the last few days. The blonde spent a little more time on her laptop, thinking she could narrow down the information that way.

Frustrated, Yang sat up and closed her laptop. "I'm tired of reading about some old guys' life stories!"

"Tell me about it," Ruby agreed. "I don't need to know when Francis graduated from college!"

"God…" Yang mumbled as she massaged her temples. All this reading was causing a headache.

Normally, The faunus would reply to her partner, but she was in charge of the last name on the list. Since she hadn't spoken yet, her team leaned in with anticipation, hoping for some good news. Blake was leaning onto the wall while she sat on her bed, deep in thought.

"Blake?" Ruby asked hopefully.

The faunus was too busy staring at the blank screen to answer. She was questioning everything about the list of names. They researched all the names on the Internet with no luck, and now there were no hints in any books?

At least for the file's list of names, people popped up. That was Atlas technology right there. Although, the random people's lives seemed boring and bland. Nothing that stuck out. Nothing as someone who built a laboratory and experimented on grimm.

A cat-ear flicked. There wasn't even information on the school rosters. The team thought that maybe some of these people attended Beacon, but apparently not. It was a long shot, but they had to be thorough.

Although… Blake grasped her laptop tightly, in deep thought. A few names on the paper appear in the file list. And only one name has the title of 'doctor,' which means he or she had to be a scientist… but I found nothing about them. Unless…

A jarring sensation filled Blake's stomach. She hated this feeling. She didn't like the tactic she'd conjured up, but at this point she was desperate. She hadn't done what she was about to do in a long time.

Ruby tilted her head, curious. "Blake?"

In determination, Blake shut her laptop and stood from her bed. "I'll be back."

If she was going to do this, she should probably do it alone. Her friends, to her, were a little too 'innocent' to know about what she was going to do.

Confused, Yang asked. "What're you doing?"

"It may not matter, but it's worth a shot," Blake said as she opened the door.

"H-hey! Wait up," eager, Yang hopped off the floor and followed her partner out the door.

Ruby yelled after them. "Tell us if you find anything!"

"Kay!" the blonde shouted and shut the door. Yang had to hurry along to catch her rushing partner. "Did ya think of something? Where are we going?"

Honestly, Blake didn't mind that Yang decided to join her. She'd rather she didn't, but she supposed it didn't matter that much. She was just glad Ruby and Weiss didn't put up a fight and accepted it.

Before Blake could answer, the partners arrived in the library. As expected, the librarian wasn't there. No one was. It was completely vacant, exactly what she was hoping for. She preferred it if lesser people knew what she was about to do.

"Uhhh," Yang mumbled, even more confused. "We've been here like a thousand times."

For a few weeks now, the team had been in and out of the library for all kinds of books. To say Yang was confused was an understatement. She thought they had everything they needed from here already.

"We need the computers," Blake said curtly.

Quickly, the faunus sat at the desktops the school provided for them. As her partner, Yang wanted to know what was going through Blake's mind, so she sat next to her.

"We have computers in our room?" Yang phrased as a question.

If Blake wanted the Internet, she could have used her laptop.

After the desktop turned on, Blake glanced at her. "I don't want someone tracking my IP address."

Baffled from the reply, Yang asked. "What?"

Someone was going to track her?

I'd rather not use my personal computer for this, the faunus thought. If this doesn't work, I don't know what we'll do, she thought as she downloaded a foreign browser onto the computer.

The browser displayed a cross of red and black bones. It certainly didn't look friendly.

"Are some bad guys gonna try to track us?" Yang asked, half-joking, half-not. "What're you downloading?"

"This is a public computer," Blake answered, keeping her eyes on the screen. "With this browser, we can go online anonymously and access… private... information safely."

From the sketchy explanation, Yang perked a brow. "Is this illegal?"

"Technically no," the faunus said.

That sort of reassured Yang, but she trusted her partner. A million thoughts swarmed the blonde's mind. She'd never seen this browser before. Did Blake know something discreet about the Internet?

"Oh, is this what they call the darknet?" Yang asked uneasily. "I've heard the term, but never went on it."

"I have been on it out of curiosity," Blake said.

Yang grinned from that. "You're such a stereotype."

After rolling her eyes, Blake entered the name that had been bothering her for weeks now.

Dr. Merlot

Since that was how it was spelled on the paper and file, she typed that verbatim. The questionable browser was thinking as random red numbers invaded the screen. A high-pitched noise eventually dinged as the two leaned in with anticipation.

Several seconds later, an image of an adult male popped up. The man was older with a full head of white hair and white facial hair. Along with that, paragraphs of information appeared.

From the breakthrough, Blake grinned widely. In return, Yang grinned so brightly it was sunny.

"Hey, we couldn't find anything on him before!" Yang pointed at the screen. "What kind of magic is this?"

Blake smirked in accomplishment. "You know how they say most people only use the tip of the iceberg of the internet? This is below the water."

Yang's jaw was agape as she stared at the screen. Loads of information poured out the screen. Before, she couldn't find anything about this man. Now, it was like a book was in front of them.

"It says he's a scientist!" Yang blurted, knowing they were looking for exactly that.

Proudly, Blake pointed at the sentence:

… performed questionable experiments.

"We might've found our guy," the faunus grinned at her partner.

In triumph, Yang held up her hand.

Happily, Blake high-fived it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blake had to use some… underhanded tactics. She has her ways.
> 
> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	18. A Breakthrough

In boredom, Ruby tossed her book to the side. She plopped on her back and laid on the carpet, letting out a sigh. Relaxed, she put her hands behind her head as she stared at the bland ceiling.

"I wonder what Blake's up to," the leader thought out loud.

Weiss didn't pry her eyes away from the book in her lap. "She had an epiphany. An important one at that."

Whatever Blake thought of, obviously couldn't wait. The faunus and Yang were out the door in mere seconds. It'd been several minutes since they left the room.

Ruby smiled from the thought. Her teammates were so smart.

"Half the time I don't know what goes through her mind," Ruby admitted. "I wish I knew."

"At least she let Yang go with her," Weiss tried to reassure her girlfriend.

Normally, Blake would involve her entire team on any matter. Since she didn't this time, there was a good chance the faunus didn't think whatever she planned would work. The white rose pair didn't mind because of that.

"Yeah," Ruby agreed as she closed her eyes.

To Weiss, her girlfriend looked so relaxed. Even if she was on the hard floor. Wanting to be close to her, Weiss shut the book in her lap and sat next to her girlfriend. In response, Ruby sat up, searching for her gaze. Icy eyes looked conflicted.

"What's up, Weiss?" Ruby asked in concern, noting she looked troubled.

Normally, Weiss would try to hold her hand. That was her go-to display of affection whenever she was with Ruby. The fact that she just sat there and stared at the wall told Ruby something was on her mind.

After a few moments of silence, Weiss asked. "Do you think this is worth it?"

For some time now, Weiss had been conflicted. Most importantly, she didn't like it when her teammates put their lives on the line. Especially if they didn't have to. Although, they did agree that they'd find out who was behind the experiments.

Ruby nodded confidently. "I think it's worth it. Whoever the scientist is, he's still experimenting on grimm. The mutated grimm are killing innocent people. We can't let this go on. I think it's our duty as huntresses to stop it."

"Yes, but…" Weiss paused briefly. "It's technically not our problem anymore. The poison is gone, and we can go back to our normal lives if we want."

There was hesitation in her voice. Like she didn't want to say that. Ruby caught this and gently held her hand. This compelled Weiss to gaze into those caring silver eyes.

"The person responsible for this became our problem when they almost killed you," Ruby said sternly.

It was then that Weiss realized this was personal for Ruby. Because of that mutated grimm, Weiss almost died. The person who created that grimm… had to be stopped.

She said 'our' problem… Weiss thought with a small smile.

Despite being in a relationship with Ruby for a few months, Weiss was still getting used to the fact that the couple now shared problems. If one of them had an issue, it was automatically the other person's. This did wonders to lessen the overall burden.

"Plus…" Ruby mumbled, giving her hand a squeeze. "I don't want someone else to suffer the way you did."

Like she was reliving the memory, Weiss pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her head into them. It was like she was trying to hide from something, and Ruby was determined to find out what.

To give her comfort, Ruby set a hand on her shoulder. "What's this about?"

"I-" Weiss said, then paused to collect her thoughts. "I'm scared of what we'll find."

Ruby tilted her head like a curious puppy. "What do you mean?"

"What if my Father is responsible?"

The leader had never seen her girlfriend look so troubled. Distress swirled in those azure orbs, and Ruby wanted to quell that immediately.

Ruby smiled and said softly. "Weiss, I want you to close your eyes."

Dumbfounded from the request, Weiss asked. "Why?"

"Just do it."

Trusting her girlfriend, Weiss closed her eyes. "Okay, closed."

Carefully, Ruby adjusted herself so she was sitting directly in front of her girlfriend. One at a time, she held her cold hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"What are you doing, dolt?" Weiss asked in amusement.

"Sh…"

"Shushed…" Weiss said, partially intrigued.

Gradually, Ruby leaned in and closed her own eyes. The gap was closed as two pairs of soft lips met. It was a light kiss. Almost feather-like. It reminded Ruby of how her girlfriend touched her. So gentle and full of love. Before Weiss could register the warm, pleasant feeling, Ruby pulled away, letting their hands fall onto her lap.

Slowly, Weiss opened her eyes. She noticed Ruby adorned a blush. She felt the warm pool in her cheeks as well.

"Feeling better?" Ruby whispered.

That certainly took her mind off things.

"A- a little," Weiss admitted.

Glad to be of help, Ruby pecked the back of her cold hand. "I get that you're worried, Weiss. I don't want your Father to be involved either, but we can't focus on 'what ifs.'"

"I know you're right," Weiss admitted with a small smile. "But you know me, I can't help but worry."

"That's one of the reasons why I fell in love with you," Ruby said casually with a grin as bright as the sun.

Weiss took a moment to scan her features. "Y-you- how can you say things like that so easily?!"

"What?" Ruby asked, genuinely confused. "It's true!"

Weiss crossed her arms with an oh-so-adorable scowl. "You're so troublesome."

"I'm-"

Before Ruby could reply, the door flew open and slammed into the wall. Blake and Yang practically burst inside the room. It was so sudden that it caused the white rose couple to flinch back in shock.

"We found something-" Yang almost announced, but then noticed her sister and teammate's faces were red from blushing. "Oh, are we cockblocking you guys again?"

From the obscene comment, Weiss hissed. "Yang!"

Blake glanced to her partner, unamused. "Really?"

"What?" Yang asked and pointed to the couple. "Look at how flustered they are! You can't tell me something didn't happen."

Together, the white rose pair hastily stood.

"Y-you didn't ruin anything!" Ruby exclaimed as the red hue on her face got darker.

"Suuuuure," the blonde sent her sister a wink. "Look, next time, put a sock on the door."

"Yang!" Weiss chided again.

Annoyed, Blake facepalmed. "Yang, are you going to tell them what we found or not?"

"Oh, right," the blonde mumbled, composing her thoughts to get back on track. "We found- well, Blakey found a clue."

"Uh, how?!" Ruby blurted. "We've been looking for weeks!"

"I have my ways," was all the faunus said.

She'd rather her friends didn't know about her underhanded tactics. It was easier that way. Luckily, her friends accepted the vagueness and understood that she'd rather not be questioned.

"Are you going to tell us what you found?" Weiss asked, growing impatient.

They'd been looking for something- anything- for a while now. The fact that there was finally something to report left them on edge.

Blake held out her phone to show her team the picture displayed. "We're thinking the person experimenting on the grimm is a scientist named Dr. Merlot."

"Dr. Merlot…" Ruby mumbled as she gazed at the image.

Curious, Weiss leaned in to inspect the picture. The man adorned scraggly white hair and facial hair. He wasn't smiling and had empty, stone-cold eyes.

"He looks like my Father if he stopped caring," Weiss observed, not liking this man already.

Yang nodded in agreement. "Right!?"

Ruby held a hand under her chin, in thought. "If I remember correctly, Dr. Merlot's name was on both the paper and file."

Blake nodded, liking that her leader also noticed that. "Which is why I really think he's our guy. Although, what we found doesn't say he performed experiments on grimm specifically. But it does say he performed, and I quote, 'questionable experiments.'"

"That's good enough to go on," the leader decided. "Good job, guys."

That earned multiple smiles.

Proudly, Yang set a hand on her partner's shoulder to show that her partner was responsible. "It was aaaaall Blakey!"

"Nonsense," the faunus replied with a blush.

Yang kept an arm draped around her partner's shoulders, obviously proud. "This Dr. Merlot dude is weird."

"He certainly looks strange," Weiss agreed with her. "But what makes you say that?"

"He's been fired tons of times," the blonde revealed. "It never says the reason why, but he also dropped out of college. Which is weird because he seems kinda smart."

"He's very intelligent," Blake backed her up. "College shouldn't have been an issue for him. At least academically."

"Maybe he went crazy," Ruby chimed jokingly.

Weiss lightly leaned onto Ruby as if to confirm her thoughts. "If he was fired from his jobs and is a college dropout, maybe he was crazy."

A brief moment of silence passed. A question had invaded Weiss' mind she couldn't rid until she spoke.

"If he had no job and dropped out, was he getting the money through my Father?"

"Maybe," Ruby shrugged, thinking about how her girlfriend was affected by such thoughts. "We need to find a connection, though."

Weiss seemed to be comforted by that. So far, there had been a weak link. She hoped it'd stay that way.

Interested in the image on Blake's scroll, Ruby held out her hand. Easily, the faunus gave her leader the phone as she inspected the information about the scientist.

Silver eyes narrowed at the screen. The scientist attended college for a short period of time. The name of the university was listed, but didn't sound familiar at all.

"I've never heard of that school," the leader said, exasperated.

"It's a school in Vacuo," Blake informed.

"Oooh, that's why," Ruby replied.

Casually, Ruby began to swipe through the file on her friend's phone. Tons of pictures of the mysterious scientist popped up. Eventually, there was a large group photo. It was of a bunch of students in lab coats.

Upon noticing the man who was standing next to Dr. Merlot, Ruby's eyes went wide.

"W-wait a sec…" the leader mumbled, disbelieving.

"What?" Yang asked, concerned. "What is it, Rubes?"

When the leader didn't reply, Yang snatched the phone from her to examine the picture herself.

Yang's jaw almost hung open as recognition sparked in her eyes. "Is that…"

So her teammates could get a look at the image and confirm it, Yang held out the phone. Weiss and Blake leaned in, then gasped.

"Ozpin?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much for suspecting douchebag Schnee!
> 
> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


	19. Doctor Loony

"Ozpin?!"

"No freakin' way!" Yang exclaimed in exasperation. "That's Ozpin?!"

The man was practically a replica except for the hair. It was a different color and showed signs of youth.

Eager, Blake snatched the phone out of her partner's grasp, eyeing the image carefully. "That's him alright. He just has darker hair in the picture."

It would be odd to assume that the man wasn't their headmaster.

Ruby peaked over her teammate's shoulder to get a good look at the picture. "Same with Merlot… same appearance, just darker hair."

"They barely changed," the blonde observed, thinking that time had been good to them. "Huh… Oz was quite the looker!"

Ruby cringed from the comment. "Eeeew."

Blake just stared at her partner, not at all surprised. "Don't make it weird."

"Yeah, yeah," the blonde casually waved off.

The photo had been taken so long ago. So long ago that the photo was black and white. It was a large group photo of students in lab coats. Standing next to Dr. Merlot was Ozpin, who had a hand on Merlot's shoulder.

"They know each other," Weiss stated as a fact. "At least, they did."

Ruby nodded, handing the scroll to her girlfriend so she could look at it. "At one point, yeah."

There was a brief silence. Blake was the one who broke it.

"The question is, do we confront him?"

The faunus wasn't sure if they should approach the headmaster now, later, or never. She only asked because she wanted the team's input, and trusted her leader's judgment.

"Yes," Ruby said without missing a beat. "I want to hear his side of the story."

From the response, Blake was a little skeptical. In the past, talking to Ozpin was a little tricky. It was like teetering on the edge of a cliff. It was especially difficult when they wanted to find information from the man.

"He may not tell us the whole story like last time," Blake mentioned, not liking how evasive her headmaster had previously been.

"I know," the leader reluctantly admitted. "I want to see him try to talk his way out of this one," a sly smirk formed.

Confident, Yang reached out for the phone. Gladly, Weiss handed it to her.

"With evidence, even he'll have trouble," the blonde said.

Weiss asked her team about possibly changing tactics. "Are we sure we want to take the head-on approach?"

"What do you mean?" Blake asked, confused.

"We could look around his office for more evidence," Weiss suggested, which caught her team off guard. "It wouldn't be the most… shady thing we've done."

The last thing anyone expected was for Weiss to suggest invading someone's privacy. Much less the headmasters. They could get into some serious trouble if they were caught.

"Weiss, you little rascally devil!" Yang exclaimed, which earned a confused expression. "Someone's gotten feisty! You're following Blakey's example, I see!"

"Shut up, you oaf," Weiss retorted with a lack of her characteristic bite. "I'm simply thinking of other courses of action. Unless anyone has any other ideas?"

"How about this…" Ruby said in a bargaining tone. "If he's super vague, we'll do that."

Weiss smirked at her girlfriend. "Sounds like a plan."

***

Before Ruby twisted the doorknob, she asked her team.

"You all remember what to do?"

Three nods.

"Alrighty then. Showtime."

With that, the leader pulled open the door. Oddly enough, Glynda wasn't at her desk to greet them. The team paid that no mind and strode over to the next door. It had the words 'headmaster's office' in the center.

To their surprise, Goodwitch was standing next to Ozpin, who was sitting in his chair. The two had been chatting until the door creaked open. The professors met the team with questionable gazes.

"Team RWBY," Ozpin greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hey, Ozpin," Yang greeted somewhat casually to mask what was going on in their minds. "We need to talk to you," she said in her usual chipper tone.

Glynda understood the blatant hint but decided to stay anyway. "We're actually quite busy as of late. What do you need?"

That reply told them she wasn't going anywhere.

Briefly, the team questioned why they were so busy when it was winter break. Then again, they were administrators. Maybe they were preparing for the next semester.

It was then that Weiss stepped forward. "We'll be blunt."

Ozpin set a hand under his chin in interest. "That would be appreciated."

"Does the name Dr. Merlot ring any bells?" Blake asked, getting to the point.

In response, Goodwitch looked troubled as she looked at Ozpin. Like she was wondering what he would say. The headmaster was clearly conflicted from the question. The team could see the gears turning in his head.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you come across that name?"

"We-"

Yang was about to answer him, but Blake set a hand on her shoulder. This caused her to be quiet. Amber met brown in an intense staredown.

"Answer the question please."

The faunus wasn't going to play games or beat around the bush. If Ozpin wanted to steer the conversation to go his way, she wasn't going to let her team fall into that trap.

After a sigh, Ozpin realized his efforts would be in vain. "Merlot was like a brother to me."

"Ah," Glynda said in amusement, recalling the memories. "You two were inseparable."

Ozpin didn't look bothered by the comment at all like he had nothing to hide. The team grew even more confused by the revelation.

Ozpin set his hands on his desk to give them his full attention. "We attended school together. I haven't seen him in ages. Which brings me to my earlier question, how do you know him?"

"We don't know him," Weiss clarified. "We know of him."

To encourage her, Ruby held her girlfriend's hand. "He's a scientist that's done some questionable things to grimm with his experiments."

She phrased that more like a statement instead of a question to gauge a reaction. However, Ozpin remained poker-faced like she hit the nail on the head.

All the headmaster did was nod. "I stopped associating with him when he went mad."

Ruby wanted to clarify to make things clear. "What does that mean?"

Glynda pointed to her own head and made circles with her finger. "He went loony."

"Ah," Yang mumbled. "He went crazy."

"He changed about halfway through university," Ozpin said like he was disappointed. "He just- stopped going to social events. Stopped going anywhere altogether. He was obsessed with his experiments. They consumed his life."

Blake's cat ear flicked in thought. The last thing she expected was for Ozpin to be this open about his past. He definitely seemed like he had nothing to hide. "Was Merlot performing them alone?"

"I'm not sure," Ozpin answered as he met her gaze. "It's likely, but don't quote me on that."

"Was he focused on grimm even back then?" Ruby asked, wanting more details. If Ozpin was going to be this open right now, might as well be thorough.

"Yes," Ozpin answered. "He always had a fascination with them."

Glynda adjusted her glasses. "He particularly liked the flying types."

The mention of aerial grimm caused alarm bells to go off in their heads. The poison Black Attraction might've been a side effect of the experiments after all.

"Do you know…" Ruby paused. "What exactly he did to the grimm?"

"No," Ozpin answered. "But his goals were to make grimm stronger and obedient to him and only him..."

The way her headmaster trailed off caused Blake's cat ears to flicker. He wasn't saying all that needed to be said. He was holding something back. Before she could ask him to elaborate, Ozpin continued.

"His experiments were trial and error. No experiment is perfect. He was trying to reach perfection. An incident occurred years ago. Grimm went berserk for unknown reasons and wiped out entire villages. They broke out of his lab and were never found again."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "That sounds like what happened to the village we were sent to."

"Unfortunately," Ozpin replied in a stern tone. "I fear that's what happened to that village. However, Merlot vanished for decades, so that would be his first reappearance if that's the case."

A few moments of silence. The team simply absorbed what the headmaster had told them.

"Black Attraction…" was all Yang said.

There was obvious confliction in her voice. A waver.

"Was a possible side effect of his experiments," Ozpin hesitantly admitted.

"You knew, and you didn't say anything?" the blonde questioned with venom leaking in her voice. "In case you forgot, my teammate almost died!"

Weiss tried to stop the outburst and set a hand on her back. "Yang-"

"Where is he?!" Yang yelled like a command, her eyes flickering red. "Cuz he wasn't at his lab in the village we went to!"

It was then that Ozpin leaned back in his chair shock. Even Glynda looked surprised. Not from the sudden outburst, but by the troubling information.

"He had a lab out there?" Ozpin asked, genuinely confused.

"Yeah," Ruby answered calmly, trying to diffuse the previous yells. "It was in ruins, though. Like the village."

Ozpin and Glynda shared a look. They couldn't believe his former friend had resurfaced after all this time. If a lab was there, it was almost guaranteed Merlot was responsible.

"The last time I heard of him, he was in Vacuo," Ozpin said. "Although, considering your findings, he's probably elsewhere now."

Glynda nodded. "Back then, he hopped around. He never stayed in one place for long."

"Take my advice," Ozpin said. "Don't try to find him. That won't be possible."

Ruby asked. "Why not?"

The headmaster crossed his arms in finality. "Because I couldn't. And I knew him better than anyone."

The team drifted in silence.

Formally, Ruby bowed. "Thanks for your time."

They got more than what they were hoping for, so she wanted to leave and recap with her team. The moment they left, Ozpin mumbled.

"After all this time…"

Glynda set a hand on his shoulder. "Why did you tell them he went crazy? He was quite intelligent."

"He was obsessed, and still is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto

**Author's Note:**

> Stay dandy,
> 
> ~Toto


End file.
